An analysis by Action to Protect Rural Scotland reveals that the government's definition of green datacentres is outdated and ignores the massive energy demands of AI. Current planning frameworks rely on 2022 data, predating the generative AI boom, allowing facilities with heavy carbon footprints to be branded as sustainable. With proposed projects demanding up to 6.2GW of power, the strain on the grid is pushing some developers to request gas connections to bypass long interconnection queues. This creates a contradiction between Scotland's economic goals and its net zero emissions targets.
