MSFT ▼ -2.3% - Microsoft Corporation $MSFT has canceled its 50MW data center lease with Nvidia-backed ($NVDA) Nscale in Essex, UK, after learning the facility may not receive grid power until after 2030, according to the Financial Times. * Canceled project: The site was expected to host 23,000 Nvidia GB300 chips and form part of Microsoft's broader £22 billion UK investment initiative. * Nscale impact: The company, targeting a New York IPO at a $35 billion valuation, is seeking another tenant and alternative power sources. It says other Microsoft contracts remain unaffected. * Anthropic risk: Nscale's separate $45 billion agreement with Anthropic could also be canceled if financing or delivery deadlines are missed. * Expansion gap: Nscale had just 25,000 advanced AI chips operational in August, versus nearly 500,000 planned. * Power bottleneck: Some 315 UK data centers await grid connections requiring 73GW, compared with the country's 45GW peak electricity demand. 18-OCT-2026 10:12 AM ET