The Scottish government is preparing to intervene in the planning process for hyperscale data centres after the first minister signalled active consideration of fresh guidance and the appropriate level for decision-making.
Twenty-four proposals sit at various stages in the system. If built they would require up to 6000 megawatts of electricity. Scotland's current peak winter demand stands at approximately 4000 megawatts. The Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland calculated committed and prospective demand between 4749 and 5249 megawatts, with a further 1000 megawatt scheme proposed at Irvine and another of undefined size at Cockenzie.
On 25 June the first minister told parliament he was examining whether central government should issue planning guidance to balance rapid expansion against national energy and climate objectives. He added that decisions might need to move from local authorities to national level given the cumulative impact on the grid.
I am giving active consideration to whether the Scottish Government should provide planning guidance to balance the rapid expansion of hyperscale data centres with national energy and climate goals, which are vital to our future prosperity.
The SNP National Council has already passed a motion endorsing a temporary pause on new AI data centre applications while impacts are properly examined. A government spokesperson confirmed ministers are reviewing options to reconcile growth with energy and climate goals, explicitly including the possibility of a pause.
Scottish Greens and campaigners have demanded an urgent moratorium until updated guidance appears. They want a formal definition of green data centres and mandatory environmental impact assessments that address the full national picture rather than treating each proposal in isolation.
The pressure reflects a deeper tension. Local planning authorities currently determine applications case by case without formal assessment of aggregate energy demand. The National Planning Framework 4 was written before the surge in AI-driven requirements that began in late 2022. Existing operational capacity in Scotland remains modest, between 10 and 40 megawatts in total.
