- UK data center demand could rise from 10 TWh to 71 TWh between 2025 and 2050
- 100 more data centers planned in the UK, half of them near London
- Other European cities also face increased pressure
The rapid expansion of data centers is putting pressure on London’s grid, with electricity shortages delaying the construction of new housing, particularly in western areas such as Hillingdon, Hounslow and Ealing.
Some completed housing projects have already been warned they may have to wait until 2037 before being fully connected to the grid, according to a new report from London.
It comes as tech companies continue to expand their power-hungry data centers to meet growing demand for AI and cloud services, both in the UK and internationally.
Data centers now have a measurable impact on housing
Data centers currently use less than 10 TWh of energy in the UK, out of a total consumption of 319 TWh, or around 3%. However, electricity demand from data centers is expected to reach 71 TWh between 2025 and 2050, putting additional pressure on the grid.
In London however, 29 known data centers account for almost a fifth (18%) of the energy.
Today, the UK has around 450 data centers, but plans to create an additional 100 have already been drawn up, with around half concentrated in and around London.
According to reports, National Grid is working to add 7GW of electricity to west London by 2037, but businesses and data center operators say this is too slow.
It’s not just in the UK that data centers have an impact on networks. Last year, Ireland’s data centers accounted for 21% of its entire electricity supply (per The guardian) – more than all urban dwellings combined.
A separate report from Ember Energy predicts a 150% increase in data center electricity demand between 2024 and 2035 in Europe.
Statistics show that data centers consumed 33-42% of electricity in Amsterdam, London and Frankfurt, as well as 80% of Dublin’s supply.
Some recommendations include establishing a separate planning policy for data centers, requiring campuses to refer projects such as heat network recovery systems to the community, and implementing additional protections for low-income households.
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