UK data centers turn to gas generators as grid delays stretch to a decade

The UK’s data center boom is running into a wall, and that wall is the national electricity grid. Faced with connection wait times that can stretch well past a decade, developers are increasingly bypassing the grid entirely and generating their own power from natural gas. Inquiries to gas networks from data center developers tripled to 113 in 2024-2025, with 46 applications currently under review. Seven gas connections have already been secured, representing a combined capacity of 15.4 TWh, enough to heat roughly 1.3 million homes. A decade in the queue Ofgem reported that the transmission demand queue grew from 41 GW in November 2024 to 125 GW by June 2025. Data centers account for around 50 GW of that demand, making them one of the single largest contributors to the backlog. Getting a grid connection can now take anywhere from 10 to 15 years. Getting a gas connection, by contrast, typically takes between six and 24 months. The poster case for this predicament is Nscale, a British AI data center firm valued at £11 billion and backed by Nvidia. The company is building a £2 billion facility in Loughton, Essex, and had planned to open in 2027. The problem: the planned 90 MW grid conn...