The data centre stress test: Power, planning and the limits of legacy advantage

The UK wants and needs data centre expansion, yet the system required to support it is increasingly misaligned. inspiratia’s “Data Centres: Power, Risk & Resilience” event, which took place in London on 18 June, examined a sector constrained by both local opposition and by deeper challenges in power, policy and infrastructure delivery. On regulation, planning and market design, one conclusion stood out: the binding constraint is no longer land or permitting alone but power, and whether the UK can deliver it.