The Green Party has called for an immediate freeze on the approval of new data centres in England, warning that the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure could intensify pressure on the country’s already strained water and energy resources.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski noted that the government should “slam the brakes” on new data centre developments, arguing that the facilities consume significant quantities of electricity and water while communities have limited influence over whether they are built in their areas.
The intervention comes as England faces growing pressure on its water resources, with three-quarters of the country currently experiencing drought conditions and many existing data centres concentrated in London and southern England.
The Green Party has raised concerns that the expansion of computing infrastructure could create additional competition for water at a time when households, agriculture and other industries are already facing shortages.
Speaking during a visit to the site of a proposed data centre in East London, Polanski argued that the government’s approach to the rapid development of artificial intelligence infrastructure needed to be reconsidered.
“We need to slam the brakes on these energy-guzzling, water-guzzling data centres. Essentially, we need basically a moratorium on anything other than local-scale data centres for the local community.”
Zack Polanski
He also challenged the decision to classify data centres as critical infrastructure, saying the designation placed artificial intelligence facilities alongside services traditionally regarded as essential to public welfare.
“At a time when three-quarters of the country are in drought, it is outrageous that these are being considered critical infrastructure. To most people, critical infrastructure means hospitals, water, electricity. It doesn’t mean Artificial Intelligence.”
Zack Polanski
The concern reflects a growing tension between the economic ambitions associated with artificial intelligence and the environmental resources required to support the technology. Data centres provide the physical infrastructure behind cloud computing, digital services and increasingly sophisticated AI systems, but their servers generate substantial heat and require cooling systems to maintain safe operating temperatures.
Water consumption can vary considerably depending on the size and design of a facility, as well as local climatic conditions. Centres in hotter areas may require greater cooling capacity, potentially increasing their water demand.
Despite these concerns, the precise amount of water data centres in the United Kingdom consume remains difficult to establish because operators are not currently required to report their water consumption publicly.
The Water Research Centre consultancy estimated that data centres in England consume approximately 1.9 billion litres of drinking water annually. That figure represents about 0.2% of the non-household water market, although the consultancy has identified what it describes as a “clear upward trend” in water use.
Environmental campaigners have also highlighted the potentially much larger requirements of individual large-scale facilities. Research cited by the Greens from environmental charity Global Action Plan suggested that some large data centres could consume as much as 1.5 million litres of water a day.
The figures have intensified questions about whether Britain has sufficient safeguards in place to manage the environmental impact of a rapidly expanding data centre industry.
United Kingdom already has hundreds of data centres, although the precise number varies depending on how facilities are classified. Previous reporting estimated that there were around 477 centres across the country, with a significant concentration around London and the south of England.
The government has simultaneously been seeking to attract further investment into AI infrastructure, viewing data centres as an important component of the country’s digital economy and technological competitiveness.
Data centres were formally classified as critical infrastructure in 2024, allowing them to receive additional government support during incidents such as cyber-attacks and extreme weather events. The Greens argue that the designation could potentially give data centres greater access to essential resources during periods of scarcity, including water.
However, the government has rejected the suggestion that data centres would automatically receive priority over households during water shortages.
AI Investment Defended as Greens Call for Stronger Environmental Protections
While Polanski has called for a moratorium on new approvals, the government has warned that halting data centre development could undermine Britain’s economic and national security ambitions.
A government spokesperson indicated that a pause would risk pushing investment and employment opportunities overseas while increasing the country’s reliance on foreign computing infrastructure.
“A pause on building new data centres would simply send investment and good jobs abroad, while leaving Britain dependent on overseas computing for the processing of sensitive health and defence data. Put simply: it would be a disaster for jobs and national security.”
Government Spokesperson
The government nevertheless stressed that its support for data centre expansion should not be interpreted as unrestricted approval for developers.
“That said, this does not mean a blank cheque for Big Tech or that every data centre should be approved. Developers must plan to use clean power, use water responsibly, create British jobs and supply chains, and provide investment to the communities in which they are built.”
Government Spokesperson
The Greens have proposed a different approach, arguing that new facilities should be subject to stricter environmental requirements before receiving approval.
Under the party’s proposals, data centres should primarily be developed on brownfield sites and located close to renewable energy sources, allowing operators to make greater use of clean electricity.
The party also wants data centre owners to publish annual figures detailing their water and electricity consumption. Such reporting, it argues, would provide communities and regulators with a clearer understanding of the resources required to operate the facilities and enable better planning as demand increases.
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