News Summary

The UK is facing a significant discrepancy in energy projections for AI datacentres between the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). DSIT estimates that AI datacentres will consume 6GW of electricity by 2030, while DESNZ’s forecasts suggest less than a tenth of that. This misalignment raises concerns over the UK’s ability to become an AI superpower while achieving its decarbonization goals. The issue highlights the growing influence of AI and big tech on government projections, with datacentre emissions now expected to be between 34 to 123 MtCO₂ over a decade, significantly higher than earlier estimates.