The UK is seeing a huge surge in data centre construction, driven by the explosive growth of artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Behind every AI-powered chatbot, banking transaction, and public cloud app sits a data centre facility or several. This digital infrastructure boom is reshaping the nation’s electrical landscape and creating challenges for utility connections.
In 2024, planning applications for data centres in the UK rose by over 40%, with tech giants announcing billions in investment. Microsoft announced a £2.5 billion investment aimed at doubling the country’s AI infrastructure capacity by 2026, while Amazon Web Services committed £8 billion to establish data centres supporting customers in London and western England. In the year 2000, there were 52 data centres nationwide. As of late 2025, this number had risen by over 800%, reaching an estimated 500 data centres.
Massive Power Requirements
What makes data centres particularly challenging from an infrastructure perspective is their extraordinary electricity consumption. Traditional data centres already consume substantial power, but AI-optimised facilities are pushing demand to unprecedented levels.
Average data centres are quite small in power terms, with demand in the order of 5-10 megawatts (MW). But large hyperscale data centres, which are increasingly common, have power demands of 100 MW or more. To put this in perspective, requests from data centres to connect to the Uxbridge Moor substation will require around 1.8GW of new capacity, the equivalent of adding a mid-sized city to the grid on the outskirts of London.
Data centres currently consume around 2.5% of the UK’s electricity. The sector’s electricity consumption is expected to rise fourfold by 2030. National Grid projections indicate that data centres could consume up to 9 per cent of electricity demand by 2035.
AI applications are the primary driver behind this surge. Power density in data centres is likely to grow from 162 kilowatts (kW) per square foot to 176 kW per square foot in 2027 as AI workloads demand more intensive computing resources. Modern AI models require significantly more power than traditional cloud applications, with advanced cooling systems and high-density server racks becoming essential.
Grid Capacity Challenges
The rapid expansion of data centres is placing unprecedented strain on the UK’s electricity infrastructure, particularly in prime locations like London and the South East. Over 90% of survey participants ranked power availability among their top two priorities when deciding on data centre expansion plans, while 87% stated that limited grid capacity and a shortage of high-density facilities are slowing AI adoption.
Parts of the West London grid reached full capacity back in 2022, contributing to delays on new housing developments. The issue extends beyond just London, with developers across England facing significant connection challenges.
Developers expect grid connection delays of eight to ten years. The volume of outstanding connection requests, especially around London is unmatched. The recent surge of connection requests from data centre developers has exposed structural tension in the UK’s grid connection framework.
The Connection Process Challenge
Connecting a data centre to the grid involves complex electrical infrastructure solutions. Data centres need to be connected to the local high-voltage electricity network, generally the 132kV network, which requires complex electrical infrastructure solutions combined with experienced asset management.
The process typically involves multiple stages. First, developers must identify suitable connection points with adequate capacity on the existing network. For projects over 50MW, connection to the transmission network via substations is usually required; however, many existing substations have reached capacity.
How Connections2energy Can Help
Navigating the complex landscape of data centre utility connections requires specialist expertise, early planning, and deep knowledge of the UK utilities sector. At Connections2energy, we understand the unique challenges that data centre developers face in securing reliable, high-capacity electrical connections.
We work with developers from the earliest stages of project planning, conducting detailed grid capacity assessments to identify viable connection points before significant capital is committed. Our team can analyse local network constraints and advise on the most cost-effective and time-efficient connection strategies.
Data centres require more than just electrical connections. We coordinate all utility services, including water (essential for cooling systems), telecoms infrastructure, and gas connections where required for backup generation, ensuring all utilities are delivered on programme and to specification.
Get In Touch
With electricity demand from the sector set to quadruple by 2030, securing timely, cost-effective utility connections has never been more critical. Connections2energy’s decade of experience in the utilities sector positions us as the ideal partner to help data centre developers navigate these challenges and deliver successful projects.
Whether you’re planning a small-scale facility or a major hyperscale campus, early engagement with utility connection specialists can make the difference between a project that delivers on time and on budget and one that faces costly delays.