Data Centre Watch Updated 23 October 2026, 17:16 UTC
Data Centre Watch
The local fight over one field is one row in a national rush. This is a rolling, fully sourced record of what changed — the schemes, the planning decisions, the power and water, and the wider world picture.
days under a hosepipe ban
Under a hosepipe ban for 106 days — since 10 July 2026 (as of 23 October 2026).
Affinity Water — Central region (incl. WD5), extended to the East region
11 areas in drought, parts of 4 in severe · reservoirs 54% · the water picture →
Latest
21 entries matching · showing 16–21
-
PJM gets emergency power to curtail data centres in a heatwave
The US grid operator for 13 states won emergency DOE approval to cut power to data centres and large loads that have backup generation during a record heatwave, with demand forecast near 166GW.
Why it matters: The grid is now formally allowed to switch big AI loads off — the 'always-on' assumption, ended.
Source: bbvk.org [C]
-
Texas freezes new data-centre permits as its queue hits 474GW
ERCOT has frozen all new data-centre permits after its interconnection queue swelled to 474GW — about 90% of it data centres. Only 28 of 377 data-centre firms answered a state water-use survey, and Amazon's colocation plan with Talen's nuclear plant was rejected.
Why it matters: The state that sold itself on cheap power and light regulation has paused the queue — and most operators won't even answer the survey.
Source: SaaS News [C]
-
US utilities make data centres pay before the power flows
A Duke Energy settlement filed 6 Oct — signed by Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft — sets a 75% minimum bill for 15 years plus security for large loads; Texas now asks $50,000/MW before study. The utility gets paid first, whether or not the halls fill.
Why it matters: Who carries the risk when a data centre is built and never filled? The rules are hardening toward the utility.
Source: sotkn analysis / Duke filing [V]
-
US bill would make data centres pay the full grid bill
A bipartisan Senate permitting package would require data centres of 20MW+ to pay both existing and incremental grid costs, let regulators charge more (and cut other bills with the excess), and require financial guarantees before utilities build to serve them.
Why it matters: The most aggressive US move yet to stop other customers footing the bill for AI's power.
Source: Axios [V]
-
US Senate investigation challenges Big Tech's data-centre case
A year-long Senate probe (Warren, Van Hollen, Blumenthal) of seven major developers found routine NDAs restricting scrutiny of public deals, sales-tax exemptions as the real subsidy, and permanent staffing of roughly one worker per megawatt — while none would commit to paying for the grid upgrades they drive.
Why it matters: The 'jobs and growth' case for data centres, tested by subpoena — and the ratepayer question at its centre.
Source: TIME [V]
-
Singapore licenses data centres for resilience and efficiency
Singapore's parliament passed the Digital Infrastructure Bill (first read 8 September, passed 7 October), creating two licensing regimes: a foundational digital infrastructure licence for data centres and cloud providers with at least 10MW of critical IT load or S$100m of Singapore revenue, and a data-centre licence for sites of at least 3MW that must meet energy-efficiency standards (with possible water-efficiency rules). About two-thirds of Singapore's ~70 data centres are caught, penalties run to S$1m or 10% of turnover, and the Act comes into force in stages from 2027.
Why it matters: A regulator licensing data centres for resilience and efficiency at once — closer to what the UK debate keeps circling.
Source: MDDI / Business Times [C]
Watchlist — what lands next
| What | State | When |
|---|---|---|
| Data-centre National Policy Statement (NPS) | Still unpublished; projects already being directed into the NSIP regime without it. | Expected 'shortly after' the Jan 2026 regulations |
| Ofgem 'Curate' data-centre connection reform | Consultation closed 17 Sep 2026; decision pending — commitment fee £237,500–£712,500/MW. | Decision later in 2026 |
| Scotland — hyperscale planning guidance | Parliament agreed no decisions on hyperscale applications until guidance is published. | Guidance expected by December 2026 |
| Draft London Plan — data-centre policy GLE3 | Consultation closed 15 October 2026; responses under consideration. | Next draft / adoption pending |
| National Scheme of Delegation for planning functions (SI 2026/854) | Standardises which applications go to officers vs committee; non-compliant committee decisions open to judicial review. | In force 31 October 2026 |
| EU data-centre standards and rating scheme | Commission has adopted a data-centre sustainability rating scheme; consultation on minimum performance standards remains open. | Consultation closes 14 December 2026 |
| Environmental Audit Committee report (HC 22) | Inquiry 'Risks and opportunities to the sustainability of data centres in the UK'; report + government response due. | Awaiting publication |
| Three Rivers Local Plan examination | Plan submitted; examination in H1 2027, adoption targeted Sep 2027. | Submission 30 November 2026 |
Join our WhatsApp group
Get the latest on the consultation, the examination and what happens next — straight from the campaign.
Subscribe by RSS/Atom
Follow the campaign in any feed reader (Feedly, NetNewsWire, Thunderbird, Inoreader…) — no account, no emails, no tracking.
Right-click → copy the link and paste it into your reader, or click if your browser opens feeds directly.
Fully sourced, no invented numbers
Every entry names its source and how it is known — verified, a designated claim, our calculation, or a gap. Where a claim is contested, we say so. See all reports & explainers →