Scottish Deputy First Minister John Swinney is facing increasing pressure from backbench members of the Scottish Parliament over plans to construct large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) data centres across the country. A forthcoming parliamentary debate scheduled for Wednesday aims to compel the Scottish Government to reconsider or temporarily halt up to 20 proposed hyperscale data centre projects amid mounting environmental and community concerns.
Opposition from the Scottish Greens and other campaigners has intensified in recent weeks due to worries that these data centres will put significant strain on local energy and water resources, contribute to noise pollution, and have a limited positive impact on job creation once operational. Critics also contend that the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure could accelerate the replacement of millions of jobs worldwide by automated systems.
The demand for such large data facilities in Scotland is largely driven by the availability of abundant energy and water, resources that US-based technology companies require in substantial quantities to develop AI systems. However, proposed government incentives, including discounted energy rates for data centre operators, have sparked controversy amid soaring household energy costs and rising concerns about energy poverty.
Patrick Harvie, the Scottish Greens co-leader, has called on the government to pause all data centre applications above 50 megawatts (MW) until a national strategic framework can be established. By comparison, the planned centre near Auchtertool in Fife alone is expected to have a capacity of 600MW, positioning it among the largest data centres globally. Harvie emphasized that the upcoming vote will ask ministers to choose between halting the unchecked influx of speculative applications or continuing along the current unregulated path.
Environmental advocates share these apprehensions. Dr. Kat Jones, representing the charity Action to Protect Rural Scotland, described the power demands of four significant proposed developments—in Auchtertool, Larbert, Chapehall near Airdrie, and Greenock—as merely “the tip of the iceberg.” Jones warned that moving forward with these plans without a coordinated government response could increase the risk of local blackouts and further strain Scotland’s electricity grid.
The Scottish Government has so far resisted calls for a full moratorium. Recent commitments within the Programme for Government require only that local councils notify ministers when new data centre applications are submitted, which campaigners argue falls short of implementing meaningful oversight.
The debate and potential vote come amid broader global concerns about AI technology. Some researchers have expressed unease over the rapid advancement of AI models, with one expert from the data company Anthropic recently highlighting a perceived risk that AI systems could eventually pose existential threats to humanity.
As the parliamentary session approaches, opposition parties are urging all Members of the Scottish Parliament to weigh the socioeconomic and environmental implications of these developments and to support a pause on hyperscale data centre expansion until adequate national policies are in place.