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
5 entries matching · showing 1–5
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A tidal-powered underwater data centre — and Maine says no
A developer has asked FERC for a preliminary permit to study a 15MW data centre sunk off Eastport, Maine, powered and cooled by the region's huge tides. Eastport imposed a 180-day moratorium in August and residents have organised against it — though only a multi-year feasibility study is proposed so far. A legal challenge has now been launched, arguing the scheme would harm endangered whale habitat.
Why it matters: 'Not in my backyard' still applies when the backyard is the seabed.
Source: The Boston Globe [C]
Changes (2)
- — Added the legal challenge over endangered whale habitat.
- — First filed.
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Floating AI data centres planned for the US Gulf Coast
Riverway Group and Offshore Data Center have partnered to design and build offshore data-centre platforms along the US Gulf Coast, converting stranded and undervalued natural gas into power for computing co-located at the fuel reserves. The designs range up to 1GW for large-scale AI training, with smaller edge/inference configurations.
Why it matters: When the gas is stranded and the grid is late, the data centre goes to the fuel — compute on the water.
Source: Data Center Intelligence [C]
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NYK consortium floats a port-based data centre concept
Japanese shipping group NYK, with NTT Facilities, Eurus Energy and MUFG Bank, has developed a concept for data centres moored alongside quays in ports — running on local generation and offshore wind — pitched as a way around land, electricity-supply and construction-time constraints.
Why it matters: As land and power run short on shore, the search for somewhere to put the compute heads onto the water.
Source: NYK Line / Smart Maritime Network [C]
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C$3.5bn, 320MW AI campus proposed where the town has halted data centres
BUZZ High Performance Computing proposes a C$3.5bn / 320MW campus in Oakville, Ontario — privately funding the connection, transformers, grid works and fibre — but Oakville has a one-year moratorium on data centres running to August 2027, which it may extend to two, against the company's H2 2027 target.
Why it matters: A scheme announced into a place that has just said 'not while we think' — the same collision as here.
Source: Compute Forecast [C]
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CoreWeave enters India with a 240MW Navi Mumbai campus
CoreWeave will be sole tenant across three 80MW buildings at AdaniConneX's Taloja campus near Navi Mumbai — its first India site, with room to double to 480MW and NVIDIA Vera Rubin in liquid-cooled halls from mid-2028.
Why it matters: AI compute spreading into new power and water systems — the same build, a different grid.
Source: Data Centre Magazine [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 |
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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 →