Executive summary 6

Introduction 12

1. Understanding where and when data centres will consume electricity 17

  Load projections 17

  Spatial planning 20

2. Enhancing the energy efficiency and sustainability of data centres 25

  Where efficiency is measured 25

  Reporting and facility performance 28

  Wider efficiency priorities 33

Long-term resilience of data centre infrastructure 34

3. Better management of grid connection requests by data centres 36

  Permitting 37

  Queue management and connection arrangements 41

4. Allocating costs related to grid and infrastructure upgrades for data centres 48

  Network cost allocation 49

  Policy trade-offs in cost allocation 53

  Instruments in use across jurisdictions 54

  Comparing tariff terms 55

5. Securing electricity supply for data centres 58

  Strategies 58

  Policy and regulation 61

6. Integrating data centres securely into the grid 63

  Flexibility 63

  Stability 66

Annex 71

  Data centre and large-load policies by jurisdiction 71

  Glossary 77