Statnett freezes new grid capacity reservations for data centers

On 9 November 2026, Statnett suspended new grid capacity reservations for data centers in Norway. The transmission system operator said the measure applies to large electricity consumers whose demand can change abruptly, according to its statement issued at 8:45 a.m. Oslo time.

Data centers already in operation continue to run, and sites that have technical approval can still connect to the grid. A project may, however, have reserved capacity and still be awaiting approval. A reservation allocates grid capacity to the project. Before granting the approval required under section 14 of Norway’s regulations on power system operation, Statnett assesses how the facility will respond once it is in service, particularly during a disturbance.

Statnett is also suspending its review of new applications for technical approval from the affected sites. For direct connections to the 420 kV grid, the suspension extends to applications already submitted. On the regional grid, the operator continues to review applications it has already received if the facility is close to entering service. It may also consider certain applications from small facilities seeking a connection by 1 August 2027 on a case-by-case basis.

A data center in the queue keeps its place. If an industrial customer is waiting behind it, Statnett can allocate capacity to that customer as long as it respects the rights of the data center ahead of it.

When servers switch to battery power

Statnett wants to set limits on how quickly a data center’s demand can change. When its software starts or interrupts many calculations at once, the power the site draws from the grid can rise or fall abruptly.

An electrical disturbance can also cause a data center to switch to its backup batteries. Its servers can then keep running while its demand on the grid drops abruptly. If generation exceeds consumption, Statnett must restore the balance. ENTSO-E, the European association of electricity transmission system operators, describes this switch to battery power in its report on data centers.