UK-based Xela Energy, formerly Clean Energy Capital, has secured planning approval for a 5MW solar farm near IBM’s Hursley campus. This marks the UK’s first private-wire solar connection to a data centre. The installation will supply 5millionkWh annually, reducing reliance on the national grid and operating without subsidies. IBM’s 27,000-square-foot facility, opened in 1977, will receive traceable renewable energy to support growing demands from GenAI and HPC workloads. The project is expected to cut 46,000 tons of CO₂ emissions over its lifetime and includes landscaping and biodiversity areas. Xela Energy identifies sites close to large power users and delivers fully funded, private-wire solutions. Construction is set to begin in the coming months.