In January 2025, the UK government gave data centres the same planning priority as hospitals and schools. The BBC reported that AI data centres now receive priority access to the electricity grid, jumping ahead of housing developments.
For the built environment, this is both the biggest construction opportunity in a generation and one of the most serious questions the industry has ever faced. Who gets the power?
The Scale Is Staggering
140 : Data centres in the Ofgem grid connection queue
1.8 GW : Capacity at National Grid's Uxbridge Moor substation
£35bn : National Grid investment to expand UK grid capacity
The Register reports that around 140 data centres are sitting in Ofgem's grid connection queue, with the government designating AI Growth Zones in North Wales, North Lanarkshire, and Culham.
National Grid is investing £35 billion to expand UK grid capacity.
Construction's Goldmine, and Its Dilemma
The Slough data centre cluster tells the story: 675 MW of capacity, over 8,000 construction job-years created, and £30 million a year in business rates.
“Data centres are being given grid priority over housing. The construction industry is being asked to build AI infrastructure while the homes crisis deepens.”
The Home Builders Federation has warned that giving data centres grid priority could delay housing developments already waiting years for electricity connections.
At a time when the UK needs 1.5 million new homes, diverting grid capacity to AI infrastructure creates a direct conflict.
High Energy AI Computing. The Responsible Question
The question is not whether to build data centres. The demand is there. The question is how to build them responsibly. That means pushing for on-site renewable energy, designing cooling systems that minimise water consumption, and honest carbon accounting.
Sources: BBC, Data Centres and Grid Priority (2025). The Register, UK Data Centre Grid Demand (2026). Kao Data, Slough Cluster Impact. Data Centre Magazine, National Grid Uxbridge Moor. Home Builders Federation.
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