Data Centres
The UK is Europe's largest data centre market and, since 2024, Critical National Infrastructure. techUK's Data Centres programme is the collective voice for UK operators - working with government on energy, grid access, planning and resilience. Our focus:
- Saving UK operators over £150m through policy engagement
- Building the evidence base that government cites
- Holding the Climate Change Agreement for the sector
Data centres power what comes next.
Data centres provide the core infrastructure that underpins digital activity across government, business and community, and, increasingly, the compute the UK's AI ambitions depend on. Demand is strong, but delivery is constrained by electricity pricing, grid connection timelines, planning complexity and environmental scrutiny. techUK's Data Centres programme is the collective voice for UK operators, working with government and regulators to turn policy ambition into deliverable capacity.
To date, the programme has saved UK operators over £150m, alerting them to business risks, mitigating regulatory impacts and raising awareness of the sector's importance. Most recently, techUK helped secure key worker status for the data centre workforce, recognising its role in keeping the UK's digital economy running.
Our research sets the evidence base for the debate. Foundations for the Future established the sector's gross value added at £4.7 billion and was cited by government in UK Infrastructure: A 10 Year Strategy, while Understanding Data Centre Water Use in England, developed with the Environment Agency, brought hard data to a contested public conversation. On energy, techUK leads the Grid Connection Technical Working Group under the government's AI Energy Council and engages directly with Ofgem, NESO, DESNZ, DSIT and HM Treasury on connections reform and industrial electricity costs.
This programme sits within techUK's wider Digital Infrastructure and Cloud work, helping connect policy, infrastructure and technology issues that support the UK's digital economy.
Shape data centre policy
Working with government, techUK secures practical, proportionate regulation so change doesn't undermine competitiveness. Recent results include negotiating the sector's Climate Change Agreement down to a 14.5% efficiency target from the 23% first proposed, securing key worker status for the workforce, and giving evidence to the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee on grid connection delays.
Build industry connections
The programme brings together operators, suppliers and developers from across the sector, building relationships that create new business opportunities. Data Centres also fosters the sharing of technical best practice and sustainability knowledge, helping the sector speak with one voice to government and the public.
Get ahead of regulation
The sector's fast-changing regulatory landscape is closely tracked through the Data Centres programme, with early guidance shared across the sector. Live files include the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill and the sector's designation as an essential service, inclusion in the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects regime, AI Growth Zones, water and heat reuse, and grid connection reform. techUK also holds the Climate Change Agreement for data centres, helping operators manage energy efficiency obligations as the sector grows.
Join the programme
Become part of the UK's collective voice for data centre operators. Join the Data Centres programme for direct input into government policy, early sight of regulatory change, and the chance to help shape the sector's future. Get in touch to find out more.
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Programme specialists
Meet the team
Sophie Greaves
Associate Director - Digital Infrastructure
Sophie Greaves is Associate Director for Digital Infrastructure at techUK, overseeing the Telecoms Programme, the Data Centres Programme, and the UK Spectrum Policy Forum. Sophie leads our work across telecoms networks, security and resilience, supply chain diversification, advanced communications technologies, spectrum policy, and data centres - bringing these areas together into a dedicated Digital Infrastructure unit. She was previously Head of Telecoms and Spectrum Policy. Prior to joining techUK, Sophie completed a masters in Film Studies at University College London; her dissertation examined US telecoms policy relating to net neutrality and content distribution.
Jade Van Zuydam
Junior Programme Manager - Energy and Utilities
Jade joined techUK in September 2025, leading our data centres work on energy and water. As Junior Programme Manager, she works with industry and government to shape policy and advance sustainability, resilience and the UK’s net zero goals. She brings a background in research, journalism and advocacy. Prior to joining techUK, Jade worked at The Economist developing international conferences to debate the most important ideas of our time, before moving into freelance journalism for their daily newsletter, The World in Brief. Her writing explores the intersection of environmental and social justice issues, from climate litigation and energy grids to sustainable agriculture. As programme manager at Digital Leaders, she engaged a network of over 100,000 members on digital transformation and its implications for policy, public services and decarbonisation. Jade holds an MSc in Environment, Politics and Development from SOAS University of London, and a BA (Hons) in History and International Relations from the University of Exeter.