Construction of new housing in three London neighborhoods has hit a roadblock: There’s not enough electricity. And one of the major culprits is data centers.
According to the Greater London Authority (GLA), new developments in the Ealing, Hillingdon and Hounslow neighborhoods of west London are being delayed because the area’s electrical grid is at capacity. Part of this is because of the M4 corridor, a stretch of land in west London home to tech giants. The likes of Microsoft, Oracle, Amazon and Dell have major data centers there that require significant amounts of energy.
“Data centers use large quantities of electricity, the equivalent of towns or small cities, to power servers and ensure resilience in service, the GLA said. The agency reportedly told one developer looking to build in the area that sufficient electrical capacity for new housing wouldn’t be available until 2035.
