UK Launches AI Energy Council to Power AI Revolution
LONDON, UK 8th APRIL , 2025 – The launch of the AI Energy Council, an initiative from the UK government that has assembled the primary players in the energy and tech sectors to address the infrastructure issues that arise from the growth of AI, has now taken place.
Included in this mix were Professor Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Science and Technology, and Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy. Meeting for the first time this week at Whitehall, the Council positions both AI ambitions for the nation and clean energy ambitions at the very center of a paradigm shift.
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology, Peter Kyle, said:
“The work of the AI Energy Council will ensure we aren’t just powering our AI needs to deliver new waves of opportunity in all parts of the country, but can do so in a way which is responsible and sustainable. This requires a broad range of expertise from industry and regulators as we fire up the UK’s economic engine to make it fit for the age of AI – meaning we can deliver the growth which is the beating heart of our Plan for Change.”
The Council is a part of the AI Opportunities Action Plan, which aims to ensure the sustainable power of data centers and computing infrastructure essential for AI development. In attendance were EDF, Ofgem, NESO, Scottish Power, National Grid, and leading tech companies such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, ARM, and Brookfield.
Alison Kay, Vice President, UK and Ireland, at Amazon Web Services (AWS), said:
“At Amazon, we’re working to meet the future energy needs of our customers while remaining committed to powering our operations in a more sustainable way, and progressing toward our Climate Pledge commitment to become net-zero carbon by 2040. As the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy for the fifth year in a row, we share the government’s goal to ensure the UK has sufficient access to carbon-free energy to support its AI ambitions and to help drive economic growth.”
Jonathan Brearley, CEO of Ofgem, added:
“AI will play an increasingly important role in transforming our energy system to be cleaner, more efficient, and more cost-effective for consumers, but only if used in a fair, secure, sustainable, and safe way. Working alongside other members of this Council, Ofgem will ensure AI implementation puts consumer interests first – from customer service to infrastructure planning and operation – so that everyone feels the benefits of this technological innovation in energy.”
Key goals include advising on efficient and responsible energy use in AI applications, improving sustainability in data center operations, and ensuring optimization of the UK’s grid supporting large energy projects, such as AI Growth Zones. Each of these highly focused areas is expected to draw in at least 500MW of power, therefore attracting significant private-sector investment and regional employment growth.
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband, said:
“We are making the UK a clean energy superpower, building the homegrown energy this country needs to protect consumers and businesses and drive economic growth as part of our Plan for Change. AI can play an important role in building a new era of clean electricity for our country and as we unlock AI’s potential, this Council will help secure a sustainable scale up to benefit businesses and communities across the UK.”
At the same time, the government is reforming the grid connection process in the UK, which could unlock 400GW of capacity. This is critical to ensuring timely power access to new AI developments and their associated infrastructure.
The Council will, over time, ensure sustainable AI deployments with benefits for businesses and communities.
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