Scottish Government Weighs Moratorium on Hyperscale AI Data Centres

The Scottish National Party (SNP) National Council has passed a motion calling for a temporary moratorium on all new hyperscale AI data centre projects in Scotland that have not yet received planning permission. The Scottish Government is currently reviewing the proposal, driven by warnings that up to 24 pending projects could consume 1.5 times the country's peak electricity demand, potentially overwhelming energy supplies and increasing household bills.

First Minister John Swinney stated the government is reviewing planning issues as a matter of urgency to determine if local councils are the appropriate authority for these developments. The move follows pressure from the Scottish Greens, rural campaigners, and local authorities in Edinburgh and East Ayrshire. The debate has intensified following allegations that a £8.2 billion project in South Lanarkshire, developed by CoreWeave and DataVita, misrepresented its energy plans by claiming it would be powered by on-site renewables despite internal documents suggesting power provision issues.

Opponents of the freeze, including the Scottish Financial Enterprise, warn that a ban would undermine economic growth and damage investor sentiment. The proposed moratorium also threatens the United Kingdom's broader AI strategy, specifically the development of an AI growth zone in Lanarkshire. This tension coincides with a broader international trend of AI infrastructure pushback, with reports that over $130 billion in projects were blocked or delayed in the United States during the first quarter of 2026.