{"id":438520,"date":"2026-04-10T06:50:38","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T13:50:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=438520"},"modified":"2026-04-10T06:50:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T13:50:41","slug":"red-ed-strikes-again-openai-abandons-31bn-uk-ai-push-over-milibands-energy-nightmare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=438520","title":{"rendered":"Red Ed Strikes Again \u2013 OpenAI Abandons \u00a331bn UK AI Push Over Miliband’s Energy Nightmare"},"content":{"rendered":"
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OpenAI has officially paused its Stargate UK data centre project \u2013 part of the \u00a331 billion US tech investment package announced last September with partners like Nvidia and Nscale \u2013 citing high energy costs and regulatory uncertainty as the deal-breakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn’t a vague rumour: OpenAI’s own statement is crystal clear. They’re still “exploring” the project (initially up to 8,000 Nvidia GPUs at sites like Cobalt Park in the North East, with potential to scale) but will only commit when “the right conditions such as regulation and the cost of energy enable long-term infrastructure investment.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI data centres are electricity guzzlers \u2013 think gigawatts for training and inference. UK industrial power prices are among the highest in the developed world (often cited as several times US levels), thanks to a grid strained by intermittent renewables, grid connection delays, and policy-driven costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI data centres are electricity guzzlers \u2013 think gigawatts for training and inference. UK industrial power prices are among the highest in the developed world (often cited as several times US levels), thanks to a grid strained by intermittent renewables, grid connection delays, and policy-driven costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Labour sold the September deal (timed with Trump’s UK visit) as proof Britain could become an “AI superpower.” Starmer’s team hyped it hard. Now it’s unravelling on their watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ed Miliband (Energy Secretary, long nicknamed “Red Ed” for his green-left stance) leads the push for rapid Net Zero by 2030, emphasizing renewables like wind and solar while winding down North Sea oil and gas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Critics argue this has contributed to higher costs through:<\/p>\n\n\n\n