UK data centres face green planning push

Ennovus Solutions and Connectus Utilities are urging the UK government to require on-site renewables, long-duration storage and water-neutral design in new data centre planning approvals. The call points to rising electricity demand, emissions risk, grid connection pressure and water use as planning variables for future UK data centre projects. The public signal is that data centre development may increasingly be judged by power sourcing, storage design and cooling resilience, not only land, fibre and customer demand.

• Ennovus and Connectus cite 40% higher demand and emissions risk
• Storage, water reuse and power sourcing enter approval logic

The fact

Ennovus Solutions and Connectus Utilities are urging the UK government to require on-site renewables, long-duration storage and water-neutral design in new data centre planning approvals. They warn that electricity demand could rise 40% above earlier forecasts, with sector emissions reaching 399 million tonnes in 2030, above the UK’s 367 million tonnes total carbon footprint in 2025. The companies oppose dedicated gas-fired plants, favour vanadium flow batteries over lithium-ion, and note NESO’s shift to a ready-and-needed grid connection model.

The Assessment

The call shows UK data centre sustainability shifting from voluntary best practice towards planning-stage compliance. It also reflects a practical tension created by grid delays: developers need faster power, but gas-backed shortcuts risk higher emissions and tougher scrutiny. If adopted, this would change site selection and project economics, pushing developers to price power sourcing, storage and water reuse earlier while giving long-duration battery, distributed wind and water recycling suppliers a clearer demand signal.

What to Watch

Watch whether UK planning policy adds renewables, storage or water-neutrality tests; whether gas-backed data centre power proposals face resistance; and how government defines water neutrality for large industrial sites.