Reported by BBC Science
Four planned "hyperscale" data centres are already considering using gas-fired power to meet their electricity needs
The UK government's ambition of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 could be undermined by its new deal on AI data centres, according to BBC research.
During Wednesday's Budget speech, Chancellor John Healey said data centres would be allowed to build onsite power generation while they wait for a grid connection.
More from the original report
BBC File on 4 Investigates has discovered that four planned "hyperscale" data centres - including three in the south of England - are already considering using gas-fired power to meet their electricity needs, creating more CO2 than the cities of Manchester, Liverpool and Southampton combined.
Labour MP Toby Perkins, who chairs the Environmental Audit Select Committee, said a substantial increase in the use of natural gas "can't be the future".
"Government absolutely shouldn't be in the business of just saying anyone who wants to bring it here, can do whatever you like to power it, because that is not acceptable," he said.
Toby Perkins MP, chair of the Environmental Audit Select Committee, said the use of gas power for AI data centres was "not acceptable"
The government said data centres were "essential to Britain's economy" and that its new Data Centre Covenant set clear expectations for developers to pay a fair share of the costs they impose on the energy system and deliver benefits for local communities.
Data centres are warehouses full of powerful computer servers used to run a vast range of digital services, including streaming, banking and public services and have been part of the British landscape for more than two decades.
But a new generation of data centres due to come on stream in the next few years will operate on a much larger scale to cope with the growing computing demand needed for increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence technology.
They will consume considerably more energy than their predecessors at a time when the National Grid is already struggling to meet demand.
Ofgem, the energy market regulator, says data centre developers are seeking connections totalling 72 gigawatts. The peak electricity…