"The rapid growth of "energy-hungry" data centres is delaying new homes in London, just as its housing crisis is "at its worst", a new report has warned. Data centres are giant warehouses full of powerful computers used to run digital services, such as streaming and artificial intelligence. However, they require masses of electricity from the National Grid to keep running."
"According to the report from the London Assembly Planning and Regeneration Committee, some new housing developments in west London were temporarily delayed after the electricity grid reached full capacity. The committee's chair James Small-Edwards said energy capacity had become a "real constraint" on housing and economic growth in the city. In 2022, the General London Assembly (GLA) began to investigate delays to housing developments in the boroughs of Ealing, Hillingdon and Hounslow -"
Rapid expansion of energy-hungry data centres is creating electricity demand that has delayed some new housing developments in west London. Data centres consume large amounts of power to run services such as streaming and artificial intelligence, placing pressure on the National Grid. The London Assembly found completed projects told they might have to wait years for grid connections and identified energy capacity as a constraint on housing and economic growth. Short-term fixes with the National Grid and Ofgem reduced the worst impacts, but several projects were still set back. The situation underscores the need for longer-term grid capacity planning as data centre demand rises sharply.
Read at www.bbc.com
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