IET responds to plans for 100 new data centres across UK

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) calls for urgent action to ensure environmental impact is not overlooked in the UK’s digital infrastructure boom.

New figures reported by the BBC reveal that the number of data centres in the UK is set to rise by nearly 20% over the next five years, with almost 100 new sites planned to meet growing demand for artificial intelligence and digital services.

While this expansion reflects the UK’s ambition to lead in digital innovation, the IET is urging government and industry to ensure that environmental sustainability is embedded into every stage of development.

James Bamborough, Sustainability and Net Zero Policy Manager at the IET, said:

“Cost cannot only be quantified in terms of financial return as the cost to the environment and the impact that climate change has on health must also be considered.”

The IET is encouraging developers and planners to prioritise locations that offer access to renewable energy and are resilient to climate-related risks. Bamborough added:

“There needs to be serious thought on the placement of data centres where climate impact and resilience can be minimised with local access to green energy generation.”

To help guide responsible development, the IET has proposed a bronze, silver, gold rating system for data centres. Bronze would apply to those with excessive energy consumption and poor environmental performance. Silver would indicate moderate impact, while gold would recognise centres that operate sustainably and use clean energy.

“This would emphasise the moral responsibility surrounding data centre energy consumption. Government should subsequently encourage the upgrading of ‘bronze’ data centres (those not using green energy) in the UK. Similar to the country’s shift away from coal energy, this could support the push for sustainable technological progress,” said Bamborough.

The IET also advocates for recognising developers who reduce emissions by reusing existing AI models rather than retraining from scratch.  In the US, training a single model like ChatGPT 3 consumed an estimated 1,300 megawatt-hours of electricity, which is roughly the same as streaming Netflix continuously for 1.6 million hours.

“It would also be appropriate to tangibly recognise instances where developers have acted sustainably by adapting an existing product, for example an Large Language Model, rather than retraining or starting from the beginning, which has led to a lower carbon footprint,” Bamborough added.

Ensuring the UK’s energy infrastructure can support this growth is another key priority.

While AI is highly energy-intensive, it also holds significant potential to combat climate change. Its strengths lie in modelling and efficiency, from optimising building energy use to enhancing smart grids, managing supply and demand, forecasting renewable energy, and enabling predictive maintenance. A balance needs to be struck in order to maximise these benefits, while minimising the environmental footprint of AI itself.

The IET points to companies already exploring alternative power sources and calls for further investment in clean technologies.

“A clean, modern and decarbonised grid will be vital to move towards net zero. Companies like Microsoft and Google are already exploring alternative power options such as nuclear technologies to power Large Language Models (LLMs). Government should continue to invest in other clean energy technologies such as offshore wind, which has a proven track record in the UK, and communicate the economic cost of these to the public” said Bamborough.

The IET believes that with the right planning, regulation and investment, the UK can lead the way in building a digital infrastructure that is both powerful and sustainable.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

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Media enquiries to:   

Rebecca Gillick
External Communications & PR Lead
E: rgillick@theiet.org