Labour's Ed Miliband has been warned that Britain's AI revolution could scupper his Net Zero dreams.
The Energy Secretary was told the vast data centres needed for AI systems will require more energy than is currently used by the whole country.
Ofgem, the energy regulator, revealed that a 'significant portion' of projects in the queue for connections to the UK's electricity grid are data centres.
Around 140 data centres were found to have come forward for grid connections, requiring 50 gigawatts of capacity at peak time.
But Ofgem noted how, by comparison, peak electricity demand across the whole of Britain on 11 February was just 45 gigawatts.
The regulator added a majority of the data centre schemes were expected to be offered priority connections to the grid.
The findings will cast fresh doubt over Mr Miliband's ambitions to decarbonise the electricity grid by 2030.
Hinkley Point C, Britain's first new nuclear plant in a generation, is expected to produce only 3.2GW of electricity when completed.
Labour's Ed Miliband has been warned that Britain's AI revolution could scupper his Net Zero dreams
The Energy Secretary was told the vast data centres needed for AI systems will require more energy than is currently used by the whole country
Around 140 data centres were found to have come forward for grid connections, requiring 50 gigawatts of capacity at peak time
The boss of Nvidia, the tech giant that dominates the market for AI chips, last year said new gas-fired power stations were needed to fulfil the Government's AI goals.
Toby Perkins, the Labour chairman of the House of Commons' Environmental Audit Committee, called for a 'national conversation' on data centres.
'It feels like a decision has been taken that data centres are integral and important and happening without really any kind of national conversation about what the implications will be,' he told The Times.
'And one of those absolutely key ones is energy demand.'
Mr Perkins said he feared data centres competing for grid connections could squeeze out clean energy projects also seeking a connection.
'One of the things that is preventing other sectors from decarbonising, preventing businesses from putting solar panels on all their roofs for example, is access to the grid,' he added.
The newspaper reported that Mr Perkins has written to Mr Miliband asking whether the extra demand from data centres has been sufficiently factored in to a proposed target of cutting emissions by 87 per cent by 2040.
Oliver Hayes, of environmental charity Global Action Plan, said: 'The choice is stark: stick to legally binding carbon budgets, unlocking even more green growth in the process, or unleash colossal data centres on UK communities and watch emissions soar. It's one or the other.'
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously hailed the potential of AI to 'turbocharge' economic growth and 'drive incredible change in our country'.
A Government spokesperson said: 'Data centres are a vital part of our economy and our everyday lives - helping us interact with the services we need, while driving growth and renewal for communities.
'Our AI Growth Zones are driving their development in areas with new clean power generation such as North Wales, the home of our first small modular reactors.
'Data centres would only be connected where the grid can support them.
'The AI Energy Council is exploring opportunities to attract investment in new clean power sources for the industry, as we work with Ofgem and network companies to free up grid capacity.'
