Power‑grid delays sink AI data centers

Delays in getting physical grid connections can convert planned AI/data‑centre projects from viable to unviable by removing anchor customers, as seen when Microsoft abandoned the Nscale Essex site after its power was deferred into the 2030s. That single operational bottleneck can cascade into stranded assets, busted IPO plans, and local economic and permitting battles. — If nation‑scale grid buildout can’t match AI compute demand, governments and markets must debate industrial policy, permitting reform, and where to site energy‑intensive infrastructure.