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 $100bn, 21-building campus proposed in Virginia
Stack Infrastructure has filed permits for 'Project Crossroads' at the Berry Hill megasite in Pittsylvania County, Virginia: 21 data-centre buildings built in phases over 15 years on about 2,990 acres, up to $100bn of investment (with at least $73.5bn binding), roughly 3,000MW of capacity — mostly generated on-site via two gas facilities — and up to 7 million gallons of water a day. It is described as the largest private single investment on record with Virginia's economic-development partnership.
Why it matters: The scale keeps climbing: a single county campus now sized like a power system, with a water demand to match.
Source: Cardinal News [C]
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Project Matador: a 17GW energy-and-AI campus in the Texas Panhandle
The planned campus (also called the Donald J. Trump Advanced Energy and Intelligence Campus) has cleared a federal environmental review milestone for four Westinghouse AP1000 reactors (~4GW of baseload), alongside natural gas, solar, batteries and grid power. Initial phases are estimated at $3bn+; full 17GW depends on tenants, financing and phased build. AMD has now signed credit support for the first 222MW phase, with a framework for expansion to 650MW.
Why it matters: Gigawatt-scale compute is now being planned as a power station first — nuclear included.
Source: Construction Review [C]
Changes (2)
- — Added AMD's credit support for the 222MW first phase, with a framework for expansion to 650MW.
- — First filed.
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Crusoe files two more West Texas data centres, with Meta floated as tenant
Crusoe has filed for two Jayton buildings totalling ~1.5m sq ft and $4.8bn, alongside its Project Hyper/Childress campus — where Meta is reported as a prospective tenant. Linked regional investment reaches ~$12bn; construction could start January 2027, first building online May 2029.
Why it matters: Compute is sited by the gigawatt where the power is — in the same Texas grid that has just frozen new permits.
Source: TechRadar [C]
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AWS plans 36 data centres on a 4.5GW gas plant in Pennsylvania
A 36-building campus across 1,100 acres on the former Homer City coal station, powered mainly by a new 4.5GW gas plant being built alongside it; construction runs in four stages to 2036.
Why it matters: A coal station swapped for gas-fed compute — the scale and the carbon, in one site.
Source: EUROPE SAYS [C]
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Project Longhorn: 490MW of on-site gas in Texas, despite a permit halt
A $366m Texas data centre ('Project Longhorn', tied to Anthropic) has been filed for 490MW of IT capacity powered by 710MW of on-site simple-cycle gas turbines — advancing through an alternative regulatory pathway while the Governor's order halts new permits pending an ERCOT grid audit.
Why it matters: Purpose-built gas generation as the default for AI, and projects routing around state-level pauses.
Source: Data Center Digest [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 →