Finite Resources Could Cause a Data Centre Crunch in 2026

Interesting thoughts, but a couple of observations. 

There are some very unrealistic estimates of future energy demand or perhaps supply. 
This article for example

https://eandt.theiet.org/2026/05/01/finite-resources-could-cause-data-centre-crunch-2026 

 Cites  "UK energy regulator Ofgem has warned that 140 proposed UK data centres could add 50GW (5GW more than current peak UK demand) and that satisfying such demand could have an impact on domestic costs."
Well yes.  

A few seconds of critical thought tells us that won't happen, well not on any sensible timescale "could have an impact" is just so much bubbles, - to do that for real, we'd only need a second British Isles to decant all the people to as the lights will have gone off in this one !

So perhaps the more immediate question should be framed another way - perhaps "how much AI centric data centre stuff can we actually sensibly build and run in the UK in the short term without putting blowing the main fuse?" as it were,
 and then design our software footprint to fit within that capability limit, and that probably includes imposing hard geographical constraints as to where the available power is.

I don't disagree with uprating the grid (as in some cases just replacing the rustier bits of what we already have is already a pressing urgency) and designing in more renewable capacity are desired, but that’s needed with or without AI, and is required just  to maintain us in the lifestyle to which we are accustomed in the coming  post gas and oil future.

Much of the big grid stuff is post war but pre 1970, and was really built to answer a different need, but if we assume we can replace it all in a similar timescale, then we should assume what we design now will be in service well past 2060, maybe wuite a bit beyond 2100, and then that really needs us to think through and out the other side of  the current obsessions with both fossil fuels and bits of silicon.

I'm also not too sure what sort of 'engineering apprentices' you would want or need for this future - current schemes already seem to struggle to find the right sort of applicants. Also just creating apprentices is a good start, but not really how you develop a workforce, more how you produce the seeds for possibly having one. If there is not then the secure career and knowledge development path, all the way up to the decision making layers, folk will then leave and go abroad or be lost to management or marketing or something, and you lose the design authority skills for the next generation of projects. So before you make too many starters, make sure there is a technical roadmap all the way to retirement.

 Mike

Interesting thoughts, but a couple of observations. 

There are some very unrealistic estimates of future energy demand or perhaps supply. 
This article for example

https://eandt.theiet.org/2026/05/01/finite-resources-could-cause-data-centre-crunch-2026 

 Cites  "UK energy regulator Ofgem has warned that 140 proposed UK data centres could add 50GW (5GW more than current peak UK demand) and that satisfying such demand could have an impact on domestic costs."
Well yes.  

A few seconds of critical thought tells us that won't happen, well not on any sensible timescale "could have an impact" is just so much bubbles, - to do that for real, we'd only need a second British Isles to decant all the people to as the lights will have gone off in this one !

So perhaps the more immediate question should be framed another way - perhaps "how much AI centric data centre stuff can we actually sensibly build and run in the UK in the short term without putting blowing the main fuse?" as it were,
 and then design our software footprint to fit within that capability limit, and that probably includes imposing hard geographical constraints as to where the available power is.

I don't disagree with uprating the grid (as in some cases just replacing the rustier bits of what we already have is already a pressing urgency) and designing in more renewable capacity are desired, but that’s needed with or without AI, and is required just  to maintain us in the lifestyle to which we are accustomed in the coming  post gas and oil future.

Much of the big grid stuff is post war but pre 1970, and was really built to answer a different need, but if we assume we can replace it all in a similar timescale, then we should assume what we design now will be in service well past 2060, maybe wuite a bit beyond 2100, and then that really needs us to think through and out the other side of  the current obsessions with both fossil fuels and bits of silicon.

I'm also not too sure what sort of 'engineering apprentices' you would want or need for this future - current schemes already seem to struggle to find the right sort of applicants. Also just creating apprentices is a good start, but not really how you develop a workforce, more how you produce the seeds for possibly having one. If there is not then the secure career and knowledge development path, all the way up to the decision making layers, folk will then leave and go abroad or be lost to management or marketing or something, and you lose the design authority skills for the next generation of projects. So before you make too many starters, make sure there is a technical roadmap all the way to retirement.

 Mike