Green Party Urges Halt on UK Data Centers Over Water and Energy Concerns

The Green Party of England and Wales is urging the UK government to halt the blanket designation of new data centers as critical national infrastructure (CNI) until water and energy sustainability can be guaranteed.

Under current regulations, data centers are classified alongside essential services such as water and electricity, meaning they receive priority access to resources even during shortages. The Green Party argues this puts households at a disadvantage, particularly in regions experiencing droughts, with over 27 million people in England affected.

The party is calling for stricter planning rules that would require developers to meet high environmental standards and undergo full community consultation before receiving approval. Green Party leader Zack Polanski stated, "We need to slam the brakes on the rampant building of new data centers which could put our communities at risk of water shortages and drive up energy bills—and yet are currently being waved through by our government."

Polanski added that current policies prioritize private profit over public needs, saying, "Data should serve people, not the other way around—but right now, because data centers are designated as critical infrastructure, people come a poor second."

A recent report by the London Assembly highlighted concerns over power supply pressures in the capital, where some areas in West London have paused new housing developments due to grid constraints. Additionally, MPs were warned earlier this year that official water demand forecasts for England do not account for data centers, despite their growing consumption—a single large facility can use up to 1.5 million liters of water daily, equivalent to a town of 10,000 people. Growth in data center construction is concentrated in water-stressed regions like London and the South East.

While newer facilities may reduce water usage through advanced cooling systems, the Green Party insists that a comprehensive national strategy is needed to prevent overreliance on foreign-owned infrastructure for critical services, including healthcare and defense. The Institute for Public Policy Research recently raised similar concerns about the UK’s dependence on overseas AI infrastructure.

A government spokesperson countered that a moratorium on data centers would drive investment and jobs abroad, weakening national security by making the UK more reliant on foreign computing power. However, they acknowledged that not all proposals should be approved, stating, "Developers should prioritize clean power, use water responsibly, create British jobs and supply chains, and provide investment to the communities in which they are built."

The Green Party’s demands come amid growing scrutiny of data center expansion, with critics warning that unchecked growth could exacerbate resource shortages and undermine public services.