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
3 entries matching · showing 1–3
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Georgia approves a 3.2GW power deal for OpenAI
Georgia's Public Service Commission has approved a contract under which Georgia Power will build 3.2GW of new generation for OpenAI's data centre in Effingham County ('Project Camelia'), with OpenAI paying the full cost of the infrastructure and offering up to 1GW of flexible demand response. Delivery runs from 2028 to 2032. OpenAI is expected to invest more than $30bn in the campus — four buildings totalling 4.4m sq ft within the 2,600-acre Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub — which it says will use a closed-loop water system.
Why it matters: A regulator signing off gigawatt-scale load with the costs pushed onto the customer — the 'large load pays its own way' model, made binding.
Source: IDCNOVA [C]
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Ireland's Supreme Court clears the €1.6bn Ennis data centre
Ireland's Supreme Court has refused leave to appeal against the approval of Art Data Centres' €1.6bn, 200MW campus outside Ennis, County Clare — ending a long legal challenge and clearing the scheme's last hurdle, after the High Court dismissed the judicial review in March 2026 and refused leave in May.
Why it matters: A test of whether Ireland's planning system keeps saying 'yes' to 200MW campuses — as its grid tightens.
Source: Data Centre Review [C]
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Indiana approves power plan for Google's 390MW Monrovia data centre
State regulators unanimously approved AES Indiana's solar, battery and transmission project to serve Google's 390MW Monrovia campus — the first filed under a 2025 law requiring large users to cover 80% of assigned costs. Google pays all direct costs, but $74m of network upgrades go into the retail rate base, which consumer advocates contested.
Why it matters: The 'who pays for the grid?' test, run through a regulator — and the first verdict under a who-pays law.
Source: WFYI [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 →