Data centres drive digital progress – but without clean, resilient energy they could also be its downfall, warns UrbanChain’s Charlie Parry The recent announcement of a £150 billion UK–US ‘Tech Prosperity Deal’ marks a bold step in transatlantic cooperation on AI, digital infrastructure and high-growth industries. But the deal risks overlooking one fundamental fact: technology doesn’t prosper without power. The UK’s data centres currently consume approximately 2.5% of the national electricity supply, a figure comparable to the power needs of the entire city of Birmingham. Projections from parliamentary analysis indicate a potential quadrupling of this electricity usage to over 22 terawatt-hours annually by 2030. Concurrently, the International Energy Agency has issued a warning that AI-driven workloads could account for more than 20% of the additional electricity demand in developed economies by the close of this decade. Data centres are the backbone of digital growth — but without clean, affordable, and resilient energy, they risk becoming the Achilles’ heel of national competitiveness. The hidden cost of digital growth Many UK data centres still largely depend on fossil fuels. Even those claiming “100% renewable” often rely on separate certificates that have little to do with their actual power consumption. Simultaneously, worsening connection queues and grid constraints pose a problem: FTSE 250 executives recently cautioned that without immediate grid improvements, the UK risks lagging behind countries offering quicker, greener power for data-intensive sectors. From challenge to opportunity Done right, the rise of data centres can accelerate the clean-energy transition. They can support new renewable energy generation, battery storage, and flexibility services by establishing consistent demand, as long as transparent systems are in place to align supply with demand. That’s where UrbanChain comes in. UrbanChain: building the renewable energy operating system Based at Manchester Science Park, UrbanChain has developed a renewable energy operating system that directly matches renewable generators with consumers. Unlike traditional suppliers reliant on wholesale markets or unlinked certificates, UrbanChain creates private energy markets that deliver 24/7 traceable renewable power, competitive pricing and insulation from wholesale volatility. Our platform doesn’t just prove that clean energy can be cost-competitive — it makes it measurable, verifiable and fully traceable in real time. In-focus: powering a major London data centre with 24/7 renewables UrbanChain has just signed a critical deal to supply 40 GWh of renewable power annually to a major Greater London data centre. This is our first data-centre client and a blueprint for how digital infrastructure can decarbonise while enhancing resilience. Through blockchain-based technology, UrbanChain will match the data centre’s demand directly with verified renewable generators, providing transparent, hour-by-hour proof of origin — not paper certificates. This partnership showcases how vital infrastructure, such as data centres, can spearhead decarbonisation efforts. We guarantee that tenants, ranging from financial services to AI innovators, can rely on both the cost and the carbon credentials of their power supply by offering directly traceable renewable energy. We’re demonstrating that traceable renewable energy offers more than just sustainability benefits; it’s also commercially competitive, resilient, and specifically designed for high-growth industries such as data centres. Why this matters for the prosperity deal To succeed, the UK-US prosperity deal needs to move beyond silicon and software, focusing instead on clean energy infrastructure that can sustainably power digital expansion. This involves integrating renewable operating systems, such as UrbanChain’s, into data-centre planning, aligning investment zones with renewable energy generation, and recognising the importance of exporting climate-tech alongside deep-tech. UrbanChain exemplifies how British innovation can achieve both, bridging the energy and digital transitions. A digital future built on clean power The prosperity deal is an economic milestone, but true prosperity depends on more than code, capital, and chips. It depends on energy that is traceable, affordable, and resilient. UrbanChain is ensuring that the UK’s data-driven future runs on clean power — and in doing so, showing exactly the kind of scalable innovation the £150 billion deal was designed to support. Charlie Parry is Chief Development Officer at UrbanChain, the Manchester-based CleanTech company behind the UK’s first renewable energy operating system. With a background in large-scale infrastructure and clean energy innovation, he leads UrbanChain’s partnerships with data centres, utilities, and international investors — helping critical industries transition to traceable, 24/7 renewable power. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
