The Green Party is advocating for a temporary halt to the approval of new data centers in England, citing significant concerns over their water and energy consumption. Zack Polanski, the Green Party leader, has called on the government to implement stricter environmental regulations and grant local communities a greater say in the development of these facilities.
Data centers are known to use substantial amounts of water for cooling their systems, though official figures on their total consumption in the UK are not publicly available. Polanski emphasized the need to "slam the breaks on these energy guzzling, water guzzling data centres," suggesting a moratorium on all but local-scale facilities for community use. He questioned the classification of data centers as critical infrastructure, particularly at a time when large parts of the country are experiencing drought.
"To most people critical infrastructure means hospitals, water, electricity. It doesn't mean Artificial Intelligence," Polanski stated, speaking near a proposed data center site in East London. The classification of data centers as critical infrastructure in 2024 means they receive enhanced government support during emergencies such as cyber-attacks or extreme weather events. The Green Party argues this could lead to data centers receiving priority for water resources over households during shortages, a claim the government denies, stating that data centers would not automatically receive priority during shortages.
The government has expressed opposition to a pause, warning that it would result in the UK losing investment and becoming reliant on overseas computing for sensitive data processing. A government spokesperson described such a move as a "disaster for jobs and national security."
There are currently hundreds of data centers in the UK, with plans for many more. The BBC reported last year that there were approximately 477 such facilities. Many are concentrated in London and the surrounding areas, regions currently facing drought conditions. The water consumption of data centers varies based on their size, design, and the local climate, with hotter areas requiring more water for cooling.
Furthermore, the BBC has uncovered that ministers have not conducted an environmental assessment on the impact of their "Delivering AI growth zones strategy." A government official described this document as a statement of intent rather than a formal policy moving towards implementation.
Currently, data centers in the UK are not legally required to report their water usage. The Green Party's call for a ban and stricter regulations aims to address what they view as an unsustainable trajectory for data center development in relation to environmental resources.