Over three quarters (78%) of UK residents think new data centres should only be constructed if they will be powered by renewable energy sources as more data reveals the staggering effect of data centres on energy consumption, water usage, and carbon emissions.

The data is based on research commissioned by Beyond Fossil Fuels and conducted by Savanta in the UK and four other European countries, which found that people do not want new data centres to jeopardise Europe’s clean energy transition, drain water resources, and raise costs for consumers.

Seven in ten (70%) of UK residents also showed concerns on how a data centre could impact their household water supply if it was built on local land.

The majority of European respondents – which includes representatives in Ireland, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, and the UK – think that new data centres should only be built if new renewable energy sources are also created to power them.

Similarly, two thirds (64%) think data centres should not be built if they are powered with fossil fuels, with 76% thinking that data centre facilities should be built only if powered by renewable energy.

Further, about three quarters (73%) think governments should put clear criteria in place to ensure energy distribution is designed appropriately.

Europeans also ranked data centres as least important in times of water shortages, with only 3% ranking them as a first priority in the event of a water shortage. Similarly, only 4% ranked data centres as a top priority when it came to energy shortages.

About seven in ten (69%) reported strong concerns about how data centres would impact their own data supply, with even more people (75%) concerned with how data centres could impact their surrounding ecosystem.

“This is a wake up call for policymakers in Europe racing ahead with data centre expansion at all costs,” Jill McArdle, international corporate campaigner, Beyond Fossil Fuels, said.

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“Instead of cheering at this unchecked growth, people are sounding the alarm: unregulated data centres risk stalling the energy transition, draining water resources and sending energy costs skyrocketing.”

“Their message to European leaders is clear: new data centres must not run on fossil fuels. People want to see them powered by renewables, or not built at all.

“But that’s not all, they do not want data centres jumping the queue for access to energy, ahead of households, public services and the electrification of European industries. It is time for Europe to stop pandering to Big Tech and start regulating data centres.”