The need to expand data centre capacity to facilitate the growing demand for AI is certainly not new information. In fact, we’ve seen sources from 2024 discussing the “race” to get data centres ready to support the massive acceleration in the use of artificial intelligence.
Two years on, the associated power consumption regarding the pace of AI adoption has skyrocketed, and the global demand for data centre capacity could more than triple by 2030. It is widely believed that the National Grid will not be able to keep up with the requirements set out by AI models.
Current Data Centre Demand on the National Grid
Data centres are integral to the digitisation of society but have major implications for energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions in Britain. It is estimated that there are 450 data centres in the UK, with an approximated 1.6 gigawatts of co-location data centre capacity in 2024.
According to the UK government, data centres currently consume approximately 2.5% of the UK’s total electricity
In addition, in September 2024 the government designated the data centre sector as part of the UK’s critical national infrastructure, alongside sectors such as energy, water, and telecommunications. However, as data centres do not have an industrial classification it is difficult to identify their direct contribution to the UK economy; but it is estimated that they contribute £4.7 billion in annual gross value added (GVA) to the economy.
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on UK Data Centres
According to an industry watchdog, the amount of power being sought by new data centre projects in the UK would far exceed the national current peak electricity consumption. The proposal of 140 new data centre schemes could require 50 gigawatts of electricity which is 5GW more than the country’s current peak demand.
The figure emerged in an Ofgem consultation on demand for new connections to the power grid. It highlighted a “surge in demand” for connection applications between November 2024 and June last year, with a substantial share coming from data centres. The increase has surpassed even the most ambitious forecasts.
Data centres are the central nervous system of AI tools such as chatbots and image generators, playing a vital role in training and operating products such as ChatGPT and Gemini.
What Would Happen if Electricity Demand Exceeded the Supply?
If electricity demand exceeds the supply available on the National Grid, it triggers a series of protective actions to prevent the entire system from collapsing:
Immediate Physical Impact: Frequency Drops
The first effect is a drop in grid frequency. Generators begin to slow because they cannot maintain speed under the increased load. If frequency falls too far, power stations automatically disconnect to protect their equipment. This can trigger a dangerous chain reaction, known as a cascading failure.
Activation of Emergency Reserves
To prevent blackouts, the National Grid brings online fast-acting “peaking” power stations (typically gas-fired plants) to quickly supply additional electricity. These are effective but expensive to run.
Demand Side Response (DSR)
Large industrial users are financially incentivised to temporarily reduce or shut down their electricity consumption. This helps rebalance supply and demand without cutting power to households.
Importing Electricity
Electricity can be imported from neighbouring countries via interconnectors to help stabilise the system during periods of high demand.
Rota Load Disconnection (Rolling Blackouts)
As a last resort, the grid implements planned, rotating power cuts to specific areas. These temporary outages are designed to reduce demand in a controlled way and prevent a wider, uncontrolled blackout.
How Can Pleavin Power Help in the Event of National Grid Failure?
Temporary emergency power acts as a critical, independent safety net during national grid failures, preventing the total shutdown of essential services, protecting sensitive equipment from damage, and mitigating the immediate impact on businesses.
Pleavin Power can help by:
- Maintaining critical infrastructure and services
- Protecting equipment and preventing data loss
- Enabling commercial continuity.
