Data Centres: Energy and Water Consumption

Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent Excerpts

Tuesday 8th July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston (CB)]

My Lords—

[Baroness in Waiting/Government Whip (Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent) (Lab)]

My Lords, there is time to hear from both noble Lords. We will start with the Labour Party.

[Viscount Stansgate (Lab)]

My Lords, I for one am very grateful to the right reverend Prelate for raising this issue. I think the House is only beginning to realise just how staggering big tech’s energy usage is. I understand that Google has doubled its CO₂ emissions since 2020 and signed a contract with Commonwealth Fusion Systems for 200 megawatts of power, using a power plant that does not even exist yet. Can my noble friend say whether more can be done to enable big tech companies to reveal how much energy usage and water is going to be involved in the use of AI? We ought to have an honest discussion about the costs involved in both those areas.