B

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (GP)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 9 March 2026

Debate

Energy Markets

Contribution

My Lords, an investigation today by the Guardian finds that a series of government announcements to “mainline AI into the veins” of the UK economy are riddled with “phantom investments” and what the Guardian describes as “shaky accounting”. In the light of this Statement on energy markets, is this not perversely a good thing? Does the Minister agree with me that we need to be thinking about the kind of energy use that is truly beneficial and efficient, both environmentally and economically, given that, as Ofgem concluded last month, 140 proposed data centre energy projects could need more power than the current peak demand? I agree with the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, that we have to keep powering the incubators for ill babies in hospitals. That is surely more important than generating AI slop of pictures of Jesus Christ made up of shrimps.

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