The UK government has officially launched its AI Energy Council, bringing together top energy providers and tech giants to ensure the nation’s infrastructure is ready to meet the soaring energy demands of artificial intelligence. The council held its first meeting in early April in Whitehall, co-chaired by Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.

The AI Energy Council aims to align the UK’s AI ambitions with its clean energy strategy, supporting the responsible, sustainable power needed to fuel large-scale data centres and cutting-edge AI development. Key participants include representatives from Ofgem, National Grid, EDF, Scottish Power, NESO, Microsoft, Google, Amazon Web Services, ARM, and Brookfield.

“We’re not just powering our AI needs to deliver new waves of opportunity—we’re doing it sustainably,” said Secretary Kyle. “This requires collaboration across regulators, industry, and government to fire up the UK’s economic engine in the age of AI.”

The council will advise on delivering cleaner, more efficient power to support AI growth, particularly in the UK’s designated AI Growth Zones—regions selected for their access to at least 500MW of energy. That’s enough to power around two million homes, making these areas key to attracting private investment, job creation, and infrastructure expansion.

Secretary Miliband emphasized that AI will play a vital role in building a new era of clean electricity. “This Council will help ensure AI’s energy demands are met sustainably while driving growth and innovation across the country,” he said.

As part of broader reforms, the government is also working with Ofgem and the National Energy System Operator to unlock over 400GW of capacity from the grid connection queue—accelerating critical infrastructure projects, including AI data centres.

Industry leaders welcomed the move. Google’s President Ruth Porat called it a “strategic and collaborative approach to energy,” while AWS Vice President Alison Kay reaffirmed their commitment to supporting AI with carbon-free energy. Ofgem CEO Jonathan Brearley highlighted the importance of fairness, security, and consumer benefit in AI’s energy future.

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