Microsoft has warned that grid connection timelines in the UK can stretch to ten years, with some projects delayed until 2035. These delays threaten the tech giant’s £2.5 billion ($3.2 billion) investment plan to expand data centers in Leeds, Newport, and London, originally scheduled between 2027 and 2029. Britain’s power infrastructure is failing to keep up with surging demand from artificial intelligence and cloud computing. In response, data center operators have tripled their interest in natural gas connections as a workaround. Reforms are under discussion to prioritize grid connections for projects deemed nationally significant.
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