Scotland’s AI data centre queue far larger than publicly known, officials say

At a recent Holyrood energy committee hearing, NESO director Matt Magill disclosed that Scotland’s electricity system currently holds connection applications for roughly 30 AI data centres, amounting to about 9.7 GW of prospective demand. This figure contrasts with the roughly two dozen projects identified by Action to Protect Rural Scotland, which together would need about 7.3 GW, highlighting a hidden “phantom” pipeline.

The gap exists because developers may seek transmission capacity well before any planning permission is filed, and unlike generation projects, there is no publicly accessible register for demand-side connections. A Freedom of Information request confirmed NESO lacks such a register, though it is considering creating one. Energy experts and APRS campaigners argue that the scale of the proposed centres warrants a transparent, strategic planning process. NESO later corrected its earlier number to 28 applications representing around 8.864 GW, but still declined to release location or developer details, citing commercial sensitivity.