The Scottish Greens have renewed calls for an immediate moratorium on new hyperscale data centres in Scotland following a one-year statewide pause announced by New York. Party figures say the move underlines the need for urgent national oversight of developments that could place heavy demands on electricity, land and water.
Why Greens say a pause is necessary
New York’s temporary ban applies to projects requiring 50 megawatts (MW) or more of electrical capacity while regulators develop stronger standards to protect communities, customers and the environment. Scottish Greens economy spokesperson Patrick Harvie MSP said the same threshold had already been proposed to the Scottish Government during First Minister’s Questions in June.
“New York has done the right thing, recognising that an unprecedented rush for energy, land and water cannot be allowed to run ahead of democratic oversight, environmental protection and the interests of our local communities.”
Mr Harvie highlighted growing public concern: a party petition has attracted more than 15,000 signatures, and the SNP’s National Council has reportedly backed a pause. The Greens warn that applications for large-scale data centres continue to progress through the planning system while there is no firm national policy on what is acceptable in scale or how environmental and infrastructure costs should be allocated.
Local and national implications
Although the Scottish Government has said it will examine the issue as a priority, it has not agreed to a moratorium and has given no update since parliamentary recess began. Greens point to at least 24 proposed hyperscale data centres across Scotland and say their combined electricity requirements could be substantial if all projects proceed.
- Threshold in focus: 50MW is the level used by New York and cited by Scottish Greens.
- Public reaction: Over 15,000 people have backed the Greens’ petition.
- Planning status: Applications are still moving through Scotland’s planning processes.
The debate centres on several unanswered questions the Greens say must be addressed before further approvals: who benefits from the technology, who owns the economic value created, what maximum scale should be permitted and who will cover the environmental and infrastructure costs.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Threshold cited | 50MW |
| Support for petition | 15,000+ |
| Proposed hyperscale centres in Scotland | 24 |
For Midlothian and other council areas, the issue raises practical questions about grid capacity, planning decisions and local environmental impacts — matters local authorities will need clear guidance on if national policy changes. Energy-intensive facilities can require significant upgrades to electricity networks and potentially affect water supplies, depending on cooling arrangements.
The Greens say a moratorium would buy time for a coherent AI and data centre strategy to be developed that sets clear limits and obligations. The Scottish Government has been asked repeatedly to set out whether it will follow New York’s example; for now, ministers say they are reviewing the matter but have not signalled support for a pause.
As the debate continues, communities and councils can expect increased lobbying from both campaigners and industry, and developers will likely press ahead with existing planning submissions unless ministers intervene. Those concerned about specific proposals should monitor planning portals and local authority consultations for updates.
— Ade Walker, Midlothian Local Affairs Correspondent
