National Grid: Data Centres

(asked on 2nd March 2026) - View Source

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure commitments to grid upgrades and decarbonisation are not overlooked due to the demand for data centres to be rapidly connected to the grid.


Answered by
Michael Shanks Portrait
Michael Shanks
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This question was answered on 10th March 2026

Government is working closely with Ofgem, NESO and network companies to ensure network capacity is available to support data centre growth, in a way that balances the needs of the energy system and ensures delivery of clean power. This includes taking actions announced in the November 2025 ‘Delivering AI Growth Zones’ publication to manage speculative data centre demand and ensure the most strategic and credible projects are prioritised for connections. Government expects to consult on these measures in due course.

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