More than 100 UK datacentres plan to burn gas to generate electricity
Summary
More than 100 new datacentres in the UK plan to use gas to generate electricity because they face long waits to connect to the National Grid. This shift to burning gas for power could impact the UK’s climate goals and shows a growing trend of datacentres relying on fossil fuels.Key Facts
- Over 100 UK datacentres have requested gas connections in the past two years.
- These requests total more than 15 terawatt hours of energy each year, enough to power London for about four and a half months.
- Delays in connecting datacentres to the National Grid are pushing developers to seek alternative energy sources like gas.
- Some datacentres plan to use gas power permanently, not just as a temporary solution.
- Using gas-fired generation for datacentres raises questions about meeting the UK’s Clean Power 2030 climate target.
- Officials and industry experts note a growing willingness to use fossil fuels for powering AI and datacentre projects.
- Similar trends are happening in the US, where datacentres run gas generators off-grid, producing significant emissions.
- The UK government and energy regulators are considering reforms to speed up electricity connections and decide how to prioritize projects.
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