Xela Energy’s Jake Barnes-Gott, planning director looks at how private wire can help with planning approvals.
Smart manufacturing, the growing Internet of Things, electrified vehicle fleets, expanding cloud services and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) are combining to supercharge a new, digitalised version of the UK economy.
As a result, the number of large infrastructure projects like data centres is surging, creating new jobs, attracting investment, and spurring economic growth. From broken solar power generation records to sweeping government regulations aimed at making the country into a “science and technology superpower by 2030”, the UK’s technology landscape is undergoing a radical transformation.
However, there are serious hurdles between the UK and its ambitions. In some cases, communities and politicians are pushing back against major projects, fearing more pressure on already strained power grids, rising utility bills to fund upgrades, and continued reliance on fossil fuels to keep the lights on. As a result, the planning approvals process for large power users (LPUs) like manufacturers and data centres can be fraught, with planning objections threatening to mire the emerging digital infrastructure revolution in red tape, delays, and rising costs. The challenge is compounded by lengthy grid connection delays for the renewable projects meant to power this growth, alongside mounting public opposition to new pylons and transmission lines proposed to expand grid capacity.
What if these LPUs didn’t have to rely on the grid? What if sustainable, low-carbon energy could be delivered directly to the end-user, not requiring the grid, bypassing pylons, easing public concerns, and accelerating planning approvals? As an Enterprise Independent Power Producer (EIPP), we design and deliver private-wire renewable energy systems tailored to LPUs like data centres and manufacturers. The result is a system that delivers green, traceable power directly to businesses, with no reliance on the grid or need for subsidies.
Private-wire renewables therefore sidestep many of the pain points in the planning and approvals process. The proof is in the planning. Xela Energy’s first project, an off-site 5MW solar farm supplying IBM’s data centre in Hursley UK, was a planning success story. The application was approved without a single objection from the local community, and the project received strong support from local councilors and the parish council.
It follows that private-wire doesn’t just deliver clean energy; it can help solve the planning puzzle facing emerging projects in the UK today. It doesn’t need to draw capacity away from the local grid; it helps avoid adding to network costs; and it demonstrates tangible carbon reduction for LPUs. As a result, integrating Xela Energy from the start could help transform a hesitant planning authority into a supportive partner.
In a world where energy demand is soaring and public scrutiny is growing, private-wire offers a critical path forward. Private-wire is more than energy; it’s the key to helping unlock projects, win approvals, and power the future of Britain’s infrastructure.