UK Labour rejects Green party call to halt AI datacentre construction
nordicinst · x · 2026-08-28
The Guardian reports that the UK Labour government has rejected Green party leader Zack Polanski's call to "slam the brakes" on energy- and water-guzzling AI datacentres. Polanski proposed a moratorium except for local community-scale facilities; the government said a pause "would be a disaster for jobs and national security."
The dispute comes amid one of the UK's worst droughts in years. Datacentres currently consume about 2.5% of UK electricity, projected to rise fourfold by 2030. Labour has designated datacentres as critical national infrastructure — a decision Polanski called "outrageous," accusing the government of putting tech giants' demands above communities, water security, and climate goals.
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