Britain’s electricity grid came within touching distance of operating without fossil fuels for the first time in April 2026, as new analysis from Drax Electric Insights reveals generation from fossil fuels fell below 1 GW for the first time ever.
The report, produced independently by academics from Imperial College London and commissioned by Drax, highlights the rapid transformation of Britain’s power system, driven by growth in wind, solar and battery storage.
The findings come amid growing geopolitical pressure on global energy markets following disruption to oil and LNG supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
Britain has also quietly become Europe’s most interconnected large power system, with more than 10 GW of interconnector capacity linking it to neighbouring countries.
It is the only large power system in Europe to have reached 10% of its capacity as interconnectors, overtaking Germany. The country can now import up to one third of national electricity demand through cross-border power links.
However, the report warns that around 140 proposed UK data centre projects are seeking approximately 50 GW of grid connections, equivalent to Britain’s entire peak electricity demand.
Government forecasts show Britain requires at least 6 GW of AI-capable data centres by 2030.
The analysis argues that AI infrastructure must become more grid-friendly, with future developments located closer to areas of strong grid connections and abundant low-carbon generation.
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