Marchers rallied from the Royal Mile to the Scottish Parliament to voice opposition against proposed installations in Cockenzie, Larbert, and Chapelcross. Local residents cite threats such as infrastructure disruption, light and air pollution, and excessive operational noise from the facilities. In response, ministers plan to publish targeted guidance before the end of the year to ensure public benefit. Under newly announced rules, developers seeking to build facilities exceeding a 50MW capacity must submit a mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment.
Key points
Environmental groups and the Scottish Greens are urging ministers to impose an immediate…: Environmental groups and the Scottish Greens are urging ministers to impose an immediate moratorium on massive computing infrastructure projects.
Proposed developments could place significant strain on renewable energy grids and lead t…: Proposed developments could place significant strain on renewable energy grids and lead to higher electricity bills for consumers.
The Scottish government plans to implement new planning guidelines and require Environmen…: The Scottish government plans to implement new planning guidelines and require Environmental Impact Assessments for facilities exceeding 50MW.
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Thousands of people have joined a protest in Edinburgh against the building of large-scale AI data centres.
Demonstrators with placards - and some dressed in costume - assembled at the top of the Royal Mile before marching towards the Scottish Parliament.
The event comes at a time of widespread debate about the environmental impact of data centres and is part of a wave of protests across Europe.
The Scottish government will soon publish new planning guidance on data centres and said it was developing a strategy to maximise the "public benefit".
Innovation Minister Alyn Smith recently said data centres were "the whisky bonds of the AI sector".
However protesters made it clear they disagree - carrying slogans such as "AI data centres threaten humanity" and "AI data centres: costing the Earth".
Some attended to voice their opposition to plans for data centres in particular communities - including Cockenzie, East Lothian, and Larbert, Falkirk.
Kim Cairns, a campaigner for 'Say No To Chapelcross AI Data Centre', told BBC Scotland News her community was worried about noise, road closures and…
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