Grid Pressure Index
This sub-index indicates whether Britain’s electricity networks appear capable of accommodating data-centre and AI-related demand — connection queues, waiting times, known constraints and the investment planned to relieve them.
Ratings are not assigned arbitrarily. Every rating carries a written explanation, a confidence level and a link to the evidence behind it. Where the evidence is not there, the region is rated “Insufficient evidence” rather than guessed.
The rating scale
- Low pressure
- Moderate pressure
- High pressure
- Severe pressure
- Insufficient evidence
Each rating is shown with a written label and a symbol (● Low pressure, ◐ Moderate pressure, ◑ High pressure, ◆ Severe pressure, ○ Insufficient evidence), so it does not depend on colour alone.
Grid indicators
| Indicator | Current value | Reporting period | Previous | Change | Classification | Source | Reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total contracted connection demand in the GB queueVolume of data centre and large-load projects awaiting a transmission or distribution connection.Total contracted connection demand across all technologies and sectors, not a data-centre-only figure. | 125 GW | As at November 2025 | — | — | Verified | National Energy System Operator (NESO) | 12 Aug 2026 |
Regional grid pressure
| Region | Pressure rating | Why this rating | Connection demand | Known delays | Network constraints | Planned investment | Flexible connections | Confidence | Last reviewed | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | Insufficient evidence | No rating has been assigned. Data not yet available. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Slough and the Thames Valley | Insufficient evidence | No rating has been assigned. Data not yet available. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| South East England | Insufficient evidence | No rating has been assigned. Data not yet available. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Midlands | Insufficient evidence | No rating has been assigned. Data not yet available. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| North West England | Insufficient evidence | No rating has been assigned. Data not yet available. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| North East and Yorkshire | Insufficient evidence | No rating has been assigned. Data not yet available. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Scotland | Insufficient evidence | No rating has been assigned. Data not yet available. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wales | Insufficient evidence | No rating has been assigned. Data not yet available. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Northern Ireland | Insufficient evidence | No rating has been assigned. Data not yet available. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Northern Ireland is assessed separately
Northern Ireland operates a distinct electricity system with its own network operators and regulator — SONI, NIE Networks and the Utility Regulator — rather than the Great Britain arrangements covering England, Scotland and Wales. Its rating is therefore assessed against Northern Irish sources only and is never inferred from GB evidence.
Related
- Data Centre Growth Index — the demand seeking these connections.
- AI Electricity Demand Index
- How pressure ratings are assigned
- Report a possible error in this assessment
Cite or share this index
AI Energy Intelligence, Grid Pressure Index, accessed 27 August 2026. https://aienergyintelligence.co.uk/uk-ai-energy-index/grid-pressure
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