Foxglove comment on UK Green Party’s call to “put the brakes” on new data centres and Government response
Responding to the UK Green Party’s call to “put the brakes” on new data centres, and the Government’s acknowledgement that there should not be “a blank cheque for Big Tech” and that “Developers must plan to use clean power, use water responsibly,” co-executive director Rosa Curling at tech justice non-profit Foxglove said:
“It’s good to hear that the Government thinks there shouldn’t be a ‘blank cheque’ for Big Tech’s data centres. But without urgent action, that’s exactly what will happen – the public and the planet will be left to foot the bill for the environmental and social costs of these energy-hungry giants.
“These new ‘hyperscale’ facilities will use staggering amounts of energy: just one of them could demand a gigawatt of power, enough for the needs of millions of homes. Along with that will come millions of tonnes of climate pollution.
“Some developers are even seeking to build their own, private fossil fuel gas-powered stations – a deeply alarming, backward step on climate action, right as we’re seeing its terrifying consequences in deadly heatwaves across Europe and the world.
“These power-hungry facilities will hit other public priorities too: we’ve already seen home-building held up because data centres have over-burdened the grid in London. Increased demand for electricity and water also risks driving up costs for households.
“Any action to pause or slow down this construction frenzy is positive, but the reality is that the Government and local authorities already have the power to say that data centres can only be built if tech billionaires, not the British public, pay for their costs in full.
“As a minimum, no hyperscale data centre should be given the go-ahead unless the developer also builds new renewable energy and storage to power it completely – and commits to not draining local water supplies.
“Yet with no sign of the promised National Policy Statement on data centres, the worry is that the can is being kicked down the road, while Big Tech gets free rein to plunder our energy and water supplies, and pollute our planet. This must be stopped, and it can be stopped, now – there’s no reason to wait.”