"Ed Miliband has been urged to explain whether a planned boom in energy-hungry data centres have been factored into his plans to deliver net zero carbon emmisions. In a letter to the energy secretary, Labour MP Toby Perkins, who chairs the Environmental Audit Committee, said data centres are a "key area of concern" in hitting the emissions target. Data centres are giant facilities full of powerful computers used to run digital services, such as streaming and artificial intelligence (AI)."
"The government has backed plans for many more to be built to help turn the UK into an "AI superpower", despite the large amounts of electricity needed to run them, including from gas-powered generators. Perkins said it was concerning that the UK government was relying on a carbon-reduction plan that made no allowance for the impact of data centres. "We would like to know whether this has been accounted for and how, including projections of emissions and possible mitigations.""
A Labour MP asked the energy secretary to clarify whether a planned boom in energy‑hungry data centres has been factored into UK plans to reach net‑zero carbon emissions. Data centres consume large amounts of electricity to run powerful computers for services including streaming and AI, and some use gas‑powered generators. The government supports building many more data centres to bolster the UK's AI capabilities, and nearly 100 new facilities are planned, often funded by US tech firms near London. Data centres are designated critical national infrastructure. The MP, chairing the Environmental Audit Committee, is leading an inquiry into emissions proposals from the Climate Change Committee.
Read at www.bbc.com
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