Joint press release from APRS and ERCS. 

An environmental charity has revealed that the energy demand from data centres currently in the Scottish planning system is between 4450 MW and 4950 MW, which is larger than the winter peak electricity demand for the whole of Scotland [1]. Information collected by Action to Protect Rural Scotland (APRS) from the planning portals of Scotland’s local authorities found 17 hyperscale data centres at various stages of the planning process [2] and many others at earlier stages. None have yet received a decision on whether or not they have planning permission.