Norway’s grid operator Statnett has halted new capacity reservations for data centres as projects requiring 9.1 GW await connection—more than a third of the country’s peak power demand. It expects to lift the restrictions by 1 August 2027 at the latest.
By Adam Ujazdowski. Polish original published on 10 November 2026 at 20:44 UTC. English edition published on 10 November 2026.
Data centre server racks. Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto.
The suspension comes as Norway prepares a separate permit system covering both new data centres and facilities already in operation. Operators already hold reservations for 4.2 GW, but Statnett wants to establish how large facilities should vary their power consumption and respond to grid disturbances.
New reservations and some technical approvals suspended
The decision announced on 9 November covers new capacity reservations and the assessment of new applications for approval of facilities’ technical specifications. Statnett has also suspended technical approval processes already under way for facilities seeking a direct connection to the 420 kV transmission network. The restrictions depend on a facility’s power consumption profile and, in practice, apply to data centres.
Existing facilities retain their connections, and projects with the necessary technical approvals can still connect. Statnett continues to assess applications submitted earlier for facilities due to start operating soon on regional networks. It may also consider some applications for smaller installations scheduled to connect by 1 August 2027.
Statnett says data centres will retain their position in the connection queue relative to other electricity users.
800 MW connected, with preliminary enquiries for another 18 GW
Data centres with a combined capacity of 800 MW are already connected to Norway’s grid. A further 4,200 MW has been reserved for planned facilities. A reservation allocates capacity to a project, although using it may depend on the grid being expanded first.
The queue contains projects requiring 9,100 MW that are sufficiently advanced to seek a reservation but are waiting for capacity to become available. Preliminary enquiries about possible connections account for another 18,000 MW.
Statnett tracks these categories separately. A project with capacity reserved on special terms may also be waiting in the queue for a connection on standard terms. Adding the figures together would therefore overstate demand.
Source: Statnett, 9 November 2026. Each bar represents a separate connection status. These figures must not be added together.
Rapid changes in consumption pose risks to the grid
A sudden increase in a large data centre’s electricity consumption can reduce grid frequency, while an abrupt disconnection can push it higher. Repeated changes in load, such as those that can occur when servers train AI models in synchronised workloads, can also cause oscillations in the network.
Statnett wants to set limits on how quickly power consumption can change and specify the types of disturbance during which data centres must remain connected. The new requirements will go through consultation before being submitted to Norway’s energy regulator, RME, for approval.
The International Energy Agency estimates that global electricity consumption by data centres will rise from 485 TWh in 2025 to about 950 TWh in 2030. Consumption at facilities specialising in AI is expected to triple over that period. Large projects concentrated in one region may require local substations and power lines to be expanded even when the country has enough electricity overall.
Permit system would also cover existing data centres
Norway’s government plans to present the main principles of its permit system in autumn 2027. The system would cover construction of new data centres and the operation of existing facilities, with transitional rules for operators.
In setting the criteria, the government intends to consider digital security, emergency preparedness and access to computing capacity for AI. It does not regard cryptocurrency-related activity as serving the public interest.
Oslo wants to prioritise access to the electricity needed to keep critical services running. It also plans to change the rules for connecting new users and require the largest consumers to bear a greater share of the costs of expanding and operating the grid.
