During a Green-led debate at Holyrood, Public Finance Minister Hannah Mary Goodlad said that the government intended to publish national guidance on data centres for local authorities, which consider planning proposals, within three months.
She told MSPs it was “highly unlikely” that decisions would be made on large data centre applications before that guidance is published.
Earlier, the government said it would order that environmental impact assessments be submitted during planning applications for all new data centres with a power capacity exceeding 50 megawatts.
It said that proposed developments under that threshold would still have to be considered under established environmental regulations on a case-by-case basis.
The update followed an order last month requiring planning authorities to notify ministers of all new data centre applications within a week of validation.
Goodlad said that the requirement for environmental impact assessments would “create a level playing field for developers” while helping to protect the environment.
She told MSPs that while there were “legitimate concerns” about data centres, ministers were increasing oversight of the planning process.
But the Greens described the move as “the bare minimum of what is needed”.
They argued that a formal moratorium was required until a national strategy and guidance was in place.
Green MSP Patrick Harvie told MSPs: “It’s simply impossible for local planning decisions made on a piecemeal basis to take into account the national strategic issues – whether that’s around fossil fuel back-up, grid stability or prices.”