UK keeps building AI data centers while US voters push back

The UK is not slowing down on data centers, even as some Americans push back. Dan Tomlinson, the UK's minister for growth, told the Financial Times that construction will continue because the buildings count as "essential infrastructure." Data centers are large buildings packed with computers that run AI tools and online services.

What the UK says

Tomlinson said AI is being used more widely across the UK economy, so the country needs more of these sites. The UK Compute Roadmap, a government policy paper, sets a goal of at least 6 gigawatts of data center computing capacity by 2030. A gigawatt is a measure of electrical power.

There are conditions. Builders must invest in local communities and create jobs to get government support. Tomlinson also said the UK learned from the "free-for-all in parts of the US" and will take a more nuanced approach with better oversight.

The pushback

The UK made approvals easier through the AI Growth Zones initiative, which former prime minister Keir Starmer introduced in 2025. Even so, residents have protested at planned sites. In the US, a majority of voters in local ballot results favored limiting the fast pace of data center construction.

What is not known yet

The material does not say which UK sites are planned, what the extra oversight will look like, or how many jobs the projects might bring. It also does not say how the 6 gigawatts will be powered. Those details will decide how much local anger the UK faces.