UK sets data-centre support tests and consultation through 8 January
The 28 October package links additional government support to local benefits and responsible resource use. England’s planning framework remains a draft.
The UK government published its Data Centre Covenant on 28 October 2026, setting tests for additional support for strategic data centres. The topic was identified in accessible Reuters reporting and checked against the full official texts. It does not announce that particular facilities have already obtained grid connections.
Conditional support
The framework calls for contributions toward the energy-system costs facilities create, local benefits, environmental performance, skills and security. For sites with sufficient strategic value, it envisages government intervention to accelerate access to power. The precise definition of strategic projects and additional criteria will be developed further; every data centre does not automatically receive priority.
Open consultation for England
The consultation on the draft National Policy Statement closes at 23:59 on 8 January 2027, UK time. It is open to individuals and organisations and concerns England, for projects seeking direction into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) regime. The draft is neither a final policy statement nor construction consent.
Electricity, water and reporting
In a separate parliamentary statement on 28 October, the government encourages annual disclosure of water and energy use and consideration of waste-heat reuse. General provision of this information is requested voluntarily; if insufficient, a statutory framework will be considered. The statement notes that water companies are not obliged to supply data centres. Lower-cost and better-resource-management objectives are government aims, not already measured outcomes.
English translation of the Greek edition · Read in Greek