Data Centre Watch Updated 25 October 2026, 14:12 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 108 days — since 10 July 2026 (as of 25 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
63 entries matching · showing 61–63
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Google backs 890MW of nuclear uprates in PJM
A 20-year PPA with Constellation funds $4.3bn of upgrades at 11 reactors across Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, adding 890MW by 2032 — a week after Amazon's 690MW Calvert Cliffs deal.
Why it matters: Hyperscalers buying nuclear to escape the curtailment queue — off-grid power as the new moat.
Source: Digital News USA [V]
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Morgan Stanley: a 32GW US power shortfall by 2028
A 34% net gap between US data-centre demand and supply through 2028, even after counting on-site gas and fuel cells. Nvidia and Broadcom are insulated; memory and optics suppliers are exposed.
Why it matters: The bottleneck is power, not chips — the same constraint shaping every UK scheme.
Source: TechFastForward / Reuters [C]
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Nvidia starts qualifying power and cooling gear
Nvidia's new 'DSX Ready' programme sets qualification requirements for battery storage and liquid-cooling products (Hitachi Energy, LG, Tesla, Vertiv, LiquidStack), tying infrastructure to its AI-factory reference designs.
Why it matters: The chip vendor is moving into the power and cooling stack — and standardising what a data centre must be.
Source: Data Center Frontier [V]
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| Data-centre National Policy Statement (NPS) | Still unpublished; projects already being directed into the NSIP regime without it.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 |
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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 →