National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) has announced a
strategic partnership with The Data Centre Alliance
(DCA), strengthening collaboration between the electricity
network and one of the fastest growing sectors in the
UK.
Demand for data centres is increasing rapidly, driven by cloud
computing, AI and digital services. Projects are moving
at pace, with developers seeking early clarity on connection
options, costs and delivery timelines as they progress
investment decisions.
The partnership strengthens how NGED works with the sector. It
provides clear touch points for engagement, earlier
access to guidance, and more opportunities to shape connection
solutions before formal applications are submitted.
Roisin Quinn, Chief Operating Officer at National Grid
Electricity Distribution, said:
This partnership brings us closer to a sector that is central to
economic growth across our regions.
Data centre developers are making major investment decisions at
pace. They need clarity on how and when they can connect, and
confidence that the infrastructure will be there to support them.
By working more closely in partnership with The DCA, we
can understand those requirements earlier, plan more effectively,
and design and deliver innovative connections.
This is about supporting jobs,
attracting investment and enabling growth across the
Midlands, South West and South Wales, while playing our
part in the UK's wider ambitions for AI and digital services. Our
role is to make sure the network is ready.
Through The DCA, NGED will provide members with direct access to
its strategic customer engagement teams, including
pre-application discussions, application guidance and
ongoing engagement to support the development of connection
strategies that reflect both technical and commercial
requirements.
The partnership creates a stronger feedback loop between
developers and the network, helping NGED build a clearer view of
future demand and prepare the system accordingly.
NGED is already supporting major data centre developments across
its regions, with over 2 GW of accepted connections currently in
its pipeline. This reflects the scale and pace of investment
coming forward, and the growing importance of electricity
networks in enabling it.
Beyond data centres, NGED is also powering the wider
infrastructure behind the UK's digital and AI economy. In Bristol
earlier this year, it played a key role in enabling the Isambard
supercomputer, one of Europe's most powerful AI research
platforms, ensuring the infrastructure is in place to support
advanced research.
Steve Hone, Co-Founder and CEO of The DCA, said:
We're delighted to be working in strategic partnership with
National Grid Electricity Distribution. Bringing the network and
data centre communities closer together is critical to supporting
the UK's rapidly growing digital and AI infrastructure,
strengthening grid resilience, and unlocking sustainable economic
growth.
NGED is investing £7.5 billion through ED2 to upgrade its
network, increase capacity and build greater flexibility into the
system. This will help ensure the network is ready to
meet increasing demand from data centres and the wider digital
and AI economy, supporting growth while maintaining a
reliable and resilient electricity network.
