UK Won't Halt AI Data Center Construction, Growth Minister Says

The UK has no intention of slowing its buildout of AI data centers, according to Dan Tomlinson, the country's minister for growth. He told the Financial Times that such projects will proceed as "essential infrastructure."

Tomlinson said AI's expanding role across the UK economy will require more data centers to support it. But he added that construction will need to invest in local communities and create jobs to secure government backing.

He also said the UK has drawn lessons from what he described as the "free-for-all in parts of the US" over data center construction, and that the country would take a more nuanced approach with stronger oversight.

Under the UK Compute Roadmap, a policy paper on meeting AI's growing power demands, the country needs at least 6GW of data center computing capacity by 2030. The "AI Growth Zones" initiative, introduced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in 2025, made it easier for data centers to win approvals.

Still, UK residents have protested at sites of planned data center construction. In the US, a majority of voters said in local ballot results that they favor restricting the rapid pace of data center construction.

Source: Engadget