Only 13% of UK's planned 2030 data centre capacity under construction as Covenant policy draws fire
ersatzben · x · 2026-10-30
Will Stone's essay argues the UK's new Data Centre Covenant risks leaving Britain short on AI compute.
- Government targets 6 GW of compute by 2030; developers have planned at least that much, but only 13% is actually under construction, with most stuck in planning.
- The Covenant offers priority grid queue access to key projects, potentially bumping less important ones, and may allow on-site power generation for badly delayed sites.
- Stone argues this adds cost and uncertainty: even sites with power and planning aren't guaranteed tenants, making projects less attractive.
- Context: the PM's chief AI advisor (ex-OpenAI) has left No10, a new Director for "AI and Society" is being recruited, and public opposition to data centres remains strong.
Related event: UK Data Centre Covenant Criticized as Costs Rise and Buildout Lags(3 posts)→
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