Overview
- The UK government has introduced a Data Centre Covenant that offers priority electricity connections to projects that commit to local jobs, community investment and limits on energy and water use.
- Research shows most proposed UK capacity is still in planning and only about 13% is under construction, which means faster grid access may not quickly speed the buildout.
- U.S. voters will decide dozens of local measures on Election Day with at least 41 proposals in 38 jurisdictions and initiatives in 10 states aimed at delaying, limiting or imposing conditions on data centres.
- Surveys show strong public resistance: a University of Houston poll found 79% of likely Texas voters want limits and 99% say developers should pay for any grid expansion, and a University of Pennsylvania study found 70% of adults under 30 oppose new local data centres.
- Policymakers from both parties now demand operators ‘pay their own way,’ but the industry still has a large pipeline and higher U.S. construction activity earlier this year, so outcomes will hinge on enforcing developer commitments and delivering grid and water upgrades.