Written questions

Electricity: Data Centres

Commons · Question 8971 · Tabled 10 Jun 2026 · Department for Energy Security and Net Zero · Official record

Answered 19 Jun 2026

Question

Asked by James McMurdock

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of AI-capable data centre growth on regional electricity network constraints.

Answer

Answered by Michael Shanks, 19 Jun 2026

Data centres in the right locations can utilise surplus or constrained renewable generation, reducing curtailment and making more efficient use of the electricity system. This more efficient use of the energy system would reduce network balancing costs, d...