I agree that the ideal usage of renewable energy is to decarbonise existing things, however we are already at the point where renewable energy companies are being paid to stop producing energy as it has nowhere to go. Millions of pounds are spent doing this most months.

Now the best use of public money is in making sure that energy goes into decarbonisation projects and grid upgrades, no argument there. But if private industry wants to invest in using renewable energy that would otherwise go to waste and result in the government hading out money to other private investors to not create energy then I think that's a good thing.

The point about empty space is that it is easy to put the data centre's away from where people live, their land usage footprint is tiny. The UK could build data centres for the entire world and the amount of land used would be less than the grouse shooting estates, we should focus on those and grazing land to rewild.