UK wants datacenters to pay a fee for grid connection requests

The UK's energy regulator Ofgem is proposing a Datacenter Commitment Fee to discourage speculative grid connection applications from datacenter developers, which have surged from 41 GW to 125 GW in under a year. The fee would be refunded if a facility draws power or forfeited if the project withdraws, aiming to prioritize credible projects and reduce grid capacity delays.