The new Data Centre Commitment Fee would be calculated based on the size of the project, with proposed charges ranging from £237,500 to £712,500 per megawatt. The crackdown on data centre development also comes amid growing local backlashes against the projects over concerns about noise, light pollution and disruptive development, among other issues. The grid was already facing similar problems with a flood of renewable energy projects triggered by the race to net zero. "Where speculative projects take up space in the queue, they can delay other schemes and create uncertainty about future network needs." Ofgem said in February that more than 140 data centre projects had come forward seeking grid connections, with some requesting more than 50 gigawatts of capacity.