Current status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 16 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether the AI Growth Zones initiative, as set out in the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: progress report 2024 to 2025, will require all data centres for AI and related purposes that are supported by it, to be what it considers "green data centres".
While the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26 Progress Report for 2024-2025 refers to the AI Growth Zones initiative, it is led by the UK Government.
The Scottish Government is in regular engagement and discussion with officials at the UKG’s Department of Science, Innovation and Technology and will continue to press Scotland’s policy interests in this area.
This includes securing data centre investment that makes best use of Scotland’s capacity to generate energy from renewable sources. There is an opportunity for the country to become a leader in green data centres, powered by our abundant renewable energy generating capacity and benefiting from the dynamic innovation and tech ecosystems that exist across Scotland.