Net Zero vs Data Centres: Can Digital Infrastructure Support a Low-Carbon Future?

At the April evening lecture hosted by the IET Central London Network, members gathered to explore one of the most pressing and least understood tensions in the energy transition: how net zero ambitions intersect with the rapidly growing energy demands of data centres.

The lecture, delivered by Bob Hicks, Chief Technology Officer of a leading energy technology company, was structured across three clear acts. Together, they unpacked the realities of modern energy systems, challenged common misconceptions about data centres, and examined whether digital infrastructure is an obstacle to net zero or an essential part of the solution.

What emerged was a nuanced, evidence-based discussion that moved beyond headlines and into the practical engineering constraints shaping the UK’s energy future.

Act 1: What net zero really means for energy systems

Bob opened the session by addressing a fundamental misunderstanding around net zero. Achieving net zero is not primarily about offsetting emissions, but about reducing greenhouse gas output at source. Offsets, he argued, are at best a transitional tool, not a long-term solution.

Electrification sits at the heart of decarbonisation. Transport, heating, and industry are increasingly shifting away from fossil fuels towards electricity generated from renewable sources. Wind and solar dominate this transition, but Bob emphasised a critical point: energy availability is not constant.

Solar generation peaks in summer and falls sharply in winter. Wind, often assumed to compensate for this seasonal imbalance, is also vulnerable to extended low-generation periods. Bob referenced the phenomenon known as Dunkelflaute — prolonged cold, dark, windless conditions that significantly reduce renewable output at the very time demand is highest.

Understanding these dynamics is essential when assessing system-wide risk, an approach mirrored in structured frameworks such as risk assessment fundamentals, where timing, probability, and consequence must all be considered together rather than in isolation.

Act 2: Inside the reality of modern data centres

Data centres are often discussed as abstract energy consumers, but Bob brought the audience inside their physical and operational reality.

At their core, data centres consist of dense racks of servers, sophisticated cooling systems, and layered resilience measures including backup generators and power conditioning equipment. Unlike many industrial or domestic loads, data centres operate continuously, creating a flat, 24/7 demand profile.

This constant load sets them apart from technologies such as electric vehicles or heat pumps, which can shift consumption to off-peak periods. Data centres cannot easily pause, delay, or reduce operations without service disruption.

The scale of this demand is growing rapidly. London is now a major European hub for data centres, and UK consumption is projected to rise from 4.38 TWh in 2024 to around 10 TWh by 2029. This growth reflects increased cloud usage, AI workloads, streaming, financial services, and digital infrastructure that underpins everyday life.

From an engineering perspective, this raises legitimate questions about system resilience, safety, and long-term planning. Managing such complexity requires the same disciplined thinking embedded in health and safety training for engineers, where continuous operation and failure tolerance are central design considerations.

Act 3: Are data centres a problem or a stabilising force?

The final act addressed the core tension of the evening: are data centres fundamentally incompatible with net zero ambitions?

Bob challenged the prevailing narrative. While data centres are energy-intensive and inflexible, their predictability can be an asset rather than a liability. In energy systems dominated by intermittent renewables, a stable, constant load can help anchor grid planning and investment.

Rather than chasing demand peaks, data centres provide a reliable baseline that can justify the deployment of renewable generation capacity. In this framing, data centres become a load-balancing partner, not an adversary.

Heat reuse was also discussed. Although data centres generate large amounts of waste heat, it is typically low-grade and difficult to repurpose economically at scale. While district heating integration is technically possible, it remains geographically and commercially constrained.

Bob also addressed fears that data centres undermine net zero progress. He argued that these concerns often overlook efficiency gains already underway. Advances in chip design, cooling methods, and workload optimisation are steadily reducing energy intensity per computation. AI, paradoxically, may play a role in improving efficiency even as it drives demand.

Effective integration of data centres into the energy system depends on communication across sectors, from planners and grid operators to engineers and policymakers. This kind of coordination reflects the principles found in effective communication in construction and engineering, where system-wide alignment is essential to avoid unintended consequences.

The broader engineering challenge

One of the strongest messages from the lecture was that data centres are not optional infrastructure. They underpin everything from banking and healthcare to logistics, education, and national security.

The question, therefore, is not whether we should have data centres, but how we design energy systems capable of supporting them sustainably.

This challenge sits squarely within the engineering profession’s remit. It demands cross-disciplinary thinking, long-term planning, and a willingness to engage with uncomfortable trade-offs. It also reinforces the need for transparent public dialogue and evidence-based decision-making.

As with other critical infrastructure debates, credibility is built through outcomes and accountability, a principle reflected in mechanisms such as a training provider reviews page, where real-world performance matters more than theoretical intent.

Skills, careers, and the energy transition

The growth of digital infrastructure also has implications for skills and careers. Data centres sit at the intersection of electrical engineering, mechanical systems, software, energy management, and sustainability.

As net zero reshapes the economy, these hybrid roles are becoming increasingly valuable. They reflect why engineering and technical careers continue to offer strong long-term prospects, as outlined in discussions around why engineering and trade careers remain a strong long-term choice.

The energy transition is not a single technology problem. It is a systems problem, requiring engineers who can navigate complexity rather than optimise in isolation.

Integrating digital growth with climate responsibility

Bob closed the lecture with a pragmatic conclusion. Data centres are neither heroes nor villains in the net zero story. They are a structural feature of modern society, and their energy use must be managed intelligently rather than emotionally.

With thoughtful integration into smart grids, investment in efficiency, and realistic policy frameworks, data centres can coexist with, and even support, a low-carbon energy system. The challenge is not elimination, but alignment.