The policy shifts grid access from chronological priority to proof of viability, potentially forcing smaller developers to pursue alternative strategies.
Ofgem has proposed a refundable Data Centre Commitment Fee and deliverability milestones for large data center grid connections in Great Britain, a move aimed at purging speculative projects from a congested queue while potentially favoring hyperscalers and established operators able to lock up capital for years.
The UK energy regulator is consulting on a refundable Data Centre Commitment Fee for large developments, paired with milestones that require evidence of financial capability, commercial maturity, and procurement activity. The fee would be refunded upon energization and forfeited if the project exits the queue early. The consultation remains open through September 16.
The proposal follows a surge in contracted demand offers, from 41 GW to 125 GW, between November 2024 and June 2025. Ofgem said data centers account for roughly 73 GW in the queue, raising concerns that nonviable applications are delaying credible projects and distorting future network planning.
Queue Shifts from First-Come to Prove It #
Ofgem proposes setting the fee between £237,500 and £712,500 per megawatt (approximately $315,000 to $946,000 per MW), or about 2.5% to 7.5% of average project costs. For a 100 MW development, that equates to a security requirement of approximately £23.8 million to £71.3 million, according to an analysis by law firm Walker Morris. The obligation would apply alongside existing transmission security requirements.
Kristina Lesnjak, EMEA research manager at DCByte, told Data Center Knowledge that the proposal would shift the grid queue from being largely chronological to one that is more explicitly based on deliverability.
“These proposals aim to make the grid queue less about who applied first and more about who can demonstrate a credible path to delivery,” she said. “This will rule out many of the more speculative projects for prioritization straightaway, benefiting viable developments.”
The challenge will be distinguishing speculative proposals from projects that are credible but lack the balance sheet or established UK presence of a hyperscaler. Lesnjak said clear evidence requirements and firm deadlines will be essential to avoid arbitrary barriers.
“The process has to be transparent and set clear milestones for developers, for what evidence is required and when,” she said. “The goal should be to free up capacity from projects that are unlikely to proceed while giving serious schemes a fair opportunity to prove they can deliver.”
Capital Advantage Could Create a Two-Tier Market #
The commitment fee is part of a broader shift in which grid operators expect large electricity users to prove both their demand and their ability to support it. In the US, PJM has proposed requiring many future large loads to secure sufficient generating capacity or accept curtailment during resource shortages, similarly aiming to prevent the cost of unverified or unsupported demand from falling on existing consumers.
In Great Britain, the likely winners are operators with a record of delivering large campuses, access to capital, and projects deemed strategically valuable. Lesnjak cautioned that smaller developers and new entrants could face longer delays even when their projects are viable.
“This could lead to a two-tier market, with strategic, fast-tracked projects at the head of the queue and non-strategic schemes heavily delayed,” she said. “This could benefit those major operators and hyperscalers with an existing presence in the UK over smaller players and new entrants.”
Power Strategy Will Drive Site Selection #
The policy could also reshape site selection, encouraging smaller developers to look beyond constrained clusters, band together to finance generation in lower-demand areas such as northern England and Scotland, or combine non-firm connections with owned energy assets. Strategies like these would turn power procurement into a central element of development rather than a utility step that follows site selection.
“In essence, smaller developers are going to need to be more creative in how they secure power for projects,” Lesnjak said.