Committee publication · Correspondence · 27 February 2026 · HC 1751
Letter from the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero in response to the committees letter relating to Data Centres and the Seventh Carbon Budget, 20 February 2026
From: Environmental Audit Committee
Inquiry: Risks and opportunities to the sustainability of data centres in the UK
Summary
Secretary of State Ed Miliband responds to the Environmental Audit Committee's enquiry about data centre emissions and the Seventh Carbon Budget. He states that CB7 modelling accounts for data centre electricity demand through broader economic projections, which the Climate Change Committee has validated. The government will test multiple demand scenarios and keeps assumptions under regular review with the Climate Change Committee and National Energy System Operator.
Key findings
- Government modelling for CB7 incorporates data centre emissions through overall electricity demand growth projections reflecting economic trends
- Climate Change Committee confirms it uses government projections in its CB7 baseline advice
- Future data centre demand and interaction with wider energy system demands remains inherently uncertain; CB7 modelling will test multiple trajectories
- UK's decarbonising power sector mitigates emissions impact of increased electricity demand from data centres
- Government will set CB7 by June 2026 and develop delivery plan; Committee's report findings will inform this process
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Ed Miliband, Toby Perkins, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, Environmental Audit Committee, Climate Change Committee, National Energy System Operator
Notable line
“… our modelling, including for CB7, accounts for potential emissions from data centres through our projection of overall electricity demand growth …”
Key Quotes
“… our modelling, including for CB7, accounts for potential emissions from data centres through our projection of overall electricity demand growth, which reflects broader economic trends.”
“Future demand from data centres, and interaction with wider energy system demands, remains inherently uncertain. To reflect this, our CB7 modelling will test a range of trajectories to assess the potential emissions impact under different outcomes.”
“… the UK's rapidly decarbonising power sector mitigates the emissions impact of increased electricity demand.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗