Written questions

Energy: Data Centres

Commons · Question 8972 · 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 discussions he has had with the system operator on energy demand associated with AI-capable data centres.

Answer

Answered by Michael Shanks, 19 Jun 2026

The Department is engaging with the National Energy System Operator (NESO) on methodologies for understanding demand, and how different scenarios for data centre capacity, efficiency, utilisation and ramp-up rate translate into varying annual electricity ...