Britain moves to clear phantom data centres from a 125-gigawatt grid queue
Britain's grid queue climbed from 41 to 125 gigawatts, including 73 gigawatts sought by new data centres; Ofgem proposes large nonrefundable deposits and proof of customers and financing to deter speculative projects. In India, communities near Microsoft and Google sites say land, water and job promises arrived without meaningful consultation, showing how the build-out can strain local consent as well as national power planning.
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Demand rose from 41 to 125 gigawatts
The combined power demand of projects awaiting grid connections in Britain, according to Ofgem, rose from 41 to 125 gigawatts between November 2024 and June 2025. New data centres account for 73 gigawatts, roughly 1.5 times the country's peak demand last year. WIRED reports Olivier Darmouni's assessment that speculative projects may lengthen connection studies for viable sites while grid operators must treat every application as serious. WIRED also notes that similar grid congestion affects the US and European countries, so speculative applications may not be the only explanation for Britain's delays.[1]
Ofgem raises the price of joining the queue
A proposal from Britain's energy regulator, Ofgem, would require developers to post a nonrefundable deposit, line up customers in advance and prove they can finance construction. The deposit could reach hundreds of millions of dollars for the largest sites. The aim is to remove projects unlikely to be built without setting the threshold so high that viable investment moves abroad. Industry feedback closes in September, with a decision to follow.[1]
Villages that learned when construction began
Communities around Visakhapatnam say they first learned of Google's data-centre project when construction began. In Telangana, some landowners are trying to recover land acquired for a Microsoft hub. Digital Empowerment Foundation founder Osama Manzar says local people are promised jobs even though completed data centres run largely through automation and need few workers. He argues that communities should have a voice from the outset in projects that use their land and water.[2]
