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Search the Public Notice PortalTHE proposed Cockenzie data centre will land in my backyard, but I am no NIMBY. I’m not against it per se.
The artificial intelligence revolution is arriving at pace. As Otto von Bismarck said of another revolution: “It is better to start it ourselves than to suffer from it.”
In a world of shifting political allegiances, digital sovereignty matters.
Scotland should not allow its future AI infrastructure, data capacity and economic resilience to be dictated by foreign governments or distant corporations.
Concerns about noise, light pollution and water use are legitimate, but they are manageable through planning conditions, engineering standards and local accountability.
These issues should be addressed seriously, not used as a blanket excuse to block strategic development. The AI world will not wait for the data-centre ‘pause’ the Greens are calling for. Scotland will simply be left behind.
Those expressing climate concerns should also remember that it is far more energy-efficient to process information in a purpose-built data centre than across millions of individual phones, laptops and devices.
What troubles me about the Cockenzie proposal is the lack of firm electricity capacity.
Ironically, the political drive for ‘clean’ renewable energy could make data centres far filthier than they should be if they end up relying on large banks of diesel backup generators.
For example, a 300MW data centre planned for Larbert is reported to require around 200 backup diesel generators.
The Cockenzie site could be twice the size. Pity the adjacent towns if hundreds of diesel units are needed during outages or periods of grid stress.
This diesel concern was not addressed by Councillor John McMillan in his recent site update. Nor were any firm details provided on supposed ‘community benefits’.
The power solution is to build firm energy supply alongside the data centre, paid for by the developer, as often happens in the United States.
The Cockenzie site could host, as originally planned, a gas-fired power station, or in future a small modular nuclear reactor. Either would provide continuous, reliable power with minimal need for diesel backup.
Local benefits must also be real. Offering surrounding towns free or discounted AI technology, training and infrastructure access could help the area boom.
But on previous form, the fear is that all funds will flow directly into Haddington’s coffers, while the risks remain parked in Prestonpans and Cockenzie.
Calum Miller
Polwarth Terrance
Prestonpans
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