50 GW of datacenter demand queues up for UK grid access

About 140 datacenters are in the queue to be connected to Britain's power grid, and their combined energy requirements are estimated to be more than the current peak electricity use for the entire country.

Ofgem, the energy regulator for England, Scotland, and Wales, recently published a call for input on Demand Connections Reform [PDF], inviting views from interested parties on how to improve the demand connections process.

The problem faced is that the demand queue is large and growing, and is said to contain a significant number of projects that are "likely non-viable." At the same time, viable projects are being held up because of the length of time needed for network or generation building.

The document claims these issues are exacerbated because there are no mechanisms to prioritize strategically important demand projects.

For "strategically important projects," read "datacenters." The UK government unveiled its AI Opportunities Action Plan last ...