How the government can tread safely through data centre minefield

In a world where it feels the government cannot put a foot right, there’s a danger it may soon march headlong into a tech minefield.

Already imperilled in some eyes with an imminent leadership contest, two news snippets caught the eye, which may ultimately lead to a further public backlash if not tackled soon.

First, figures from the International Data Center Authority (IDCA) found 5.8% of the UK’s electricity production is being guzzled by data centres – with AI the obvious accelerant for such growth.

Only the US at 6% and Germany at 9.5% are higher (the top five consumers made up by the more modest usage of China’s 0.8% and Japan’s 1.5%).

Then, there are the plans for “more than 100 new data centres” looking to burn gas for electricity. Around 30% of the UK’s electricity comes from gas power….