Transparency data

AI Energy Council minutes: Tuesday, 8 April 2025 (HTML)

Updated 11 September 2025

Attendees

Ministerial attendance

• Ed Miliband MP, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
• Peter Kyle MP, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology

External attendees

• Jonathan Brearley, CEO, Ofgem
• Fintan Slye, CEO, National Energy System Operator (NESO)
• Alice Delahunty, President, National Grid Transmission UK
• Lawrence Slade, CEO, Energy Networks Association (ENA)
• Simone Rossi, CEO, EDF Energy
• Tom Williamson, Head of Innovation, Scottish Power
• Tom Greatrex, CEO, Nuclear Industry Association (NIA)
• Debbie Weinstein, President, Google EMEA
• Alison Kay Vice President UK and Ireland, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Clare Barclay, President Enterprise and Industry, Microsoft EMEA, also Chair of the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council
• Richard Grisenthwaite, Chief Architect, ARM
• James Tyler, Managing Director, UK Operations, Equinix
• Simon Maine, Managing Director, Corporate Communications and Brand, Brookfield
• Suraj Bramhavar, Director, Advanced Research and Innovation Agency (ARIA)
• David Owen, Senior Researcher, EpochAI

Officials

(Officials from the secretariat and Private Office (PO) were also present but have not been included).

• Matt Clifford, Prime Minister’s Adviser on AI Opportunities
• Paul Monks, Chief Scientific Advisor, DESNZ
• Jonathan Mills, Director General of Energy Markets and Supply, DESNZ
• Tim Bliss, DESNZ Special Adviser
• Imran Shafi, Director, AI Opportunities Directorate, DSIT
• Sam Cannicott, Deputy Director of AI Infrastructure, International and Sovereign AI, DSIT
• William French, DSIT Special Adviser

Item 1: Chairs opening remarks  

• The Ministers welcomed attendees, underscoring the government’s intent to harness AI for national and business advancement, stressing the need for a robust energy system.
• The Chairs emphasised AI’s transformative potential and the ambition to strategically tap into its opportunities while addressing energy sector needs.

Item 2: Agreement of the terms of reference  

• The terms of reference were agreed upon unanimously by the attendees with minor changes agreed by email.  

Item 3: Presentation from EpochAI

• EpochAI highlighted the dramatic increase in computational needs for AI models, predicting future demands could reach tens of GWs by 2030.
• Industry comments acknowledged the need for improved energy infrastructure and strategic planning to facilitate AI growth.

Item 4 and 5: Discussion on key challenges and focus areas  

• The Council discussed the key questions proposed by officials to be the focus of the Council in its first term. It was suggested that sub-groups could come together to work on these areas and report back to the Council over the next few months.
• Attendees engaged in a detailed discussion of key challenges and focus areas, with the following points noted:

Energy performance metrics for data centres

Questions were posed regarding the lessons learned from existing data centres, particularly those in London, and what energy performance metrics could be applied for future developments, including potential new hyperscale data centres in Scotland.

Grid connections and infrastructure needs

The group discussed the critical challenges associated with grid connections – including in relation to recent reforms – and the infrastructure necessary for data centres within AI Growth Zones. Attendees highlighted the importance of ensuring that investments align with actual needs to avoid future complications.

Focus beyond Data centres

There was a recognition that discussions have heavily centred on data centres, whereas demand forecasting should also consider the overall grid requirements. The significance of inference processes occurring at the edge was emphasised, indicating that not addressing broader energy demand could overlook important aspects of the energy landscape.

Learning from international models

International experiences were discussed, particularly regarding innovative business models for data centre investments and partnerships that co-fund transmission assets. The potential for corporate funding models to support renewable capacity was also considered.

Broadening the key questions

It was decided to expand the originally identified questions to not only encompass energy demand and grid capacity but also to include considerations for the site suitability and a new focus on viable business models for AI data centres.

Collaboration and support needs

Attendees expressed the need for a collaborative approach to address these challenges, particularly concerning planning, investment, and the integration of AI in energy systems. It was noted that a follow-up would be necessary to identify specific teams and individuals for ongoing collaboration.

Item 6: Closing remarks

• There was an expression of openness and commitment to collaboration in bringing together the AI and energy sectors effectively.