Norway’s grid operator Statnett has paused reservations for new data-centre grid connections while the government develops a licensing system to manage the sector’s rapid growth.

The scale of demand is striking: data centres accounted for 75% of the 26,000 megawatts of new-capacity applications Statnett received this year, while Norway’s peak electricity use is just over 25,000 megawatts.

Statnett says 800 megawatts of data-centre capacity is already connected, 4,200 megawatts has reserved capacity and another 9,100 megawatts is awaiting approval.

Statnett expects the pause to last at least until August 2027, warning that data centres’ fast-changing power demand could complicate stable grid operations and put upward pressure on electricity prices and inflation.

This is not a blanket connection ban: projects already connected or approved are unaffected, and some smaller or near-ready regional-grid projects may still proceed; capacity will not be shifted away from data centres already ahead in the queue.

The government plans a licensing scheme for both existing and future data centres, with details expected in autumn 2027 and requirements under consideration for digital security, preparedness and socially valuable computing.

The system is intended to prioritize facilities supporting defence, police, emergency preparedness, health services and critical infrastructure such as mobile networks and financial systems.

Digitalization Minister Torgeir Micaelsen said Norway wants to support domestic AI needs while restricting access to land and electricity for global cloud companies and cryptocurrency businesses; cryptocurrency mining will not count as socially beneficial.

The government is also examining whether large new consumers should pay more of the network-expansion and operating costs they create, how to handle major expansions of existing demand, and whether the state should retain partial control of especially beneficial data centres.

Potential rules could require new data centres to cover the grid costs they cause or generate their own electricity, including through gas-fired plants equipped with carbon capture and storage; projects with their own generation are exempt from the current pause.

Statnett is considering technical requirements for how data centres stay connected during disturbances, how quickly their consumption can change and how to reduce grid oscillations; proposed rules would require consultation and approval from the Norwegian Energy Regulatory Authority.

Statnett has not disclosed which companies are in the queue or how much capacity is intended for AI, and the expected timeline and requirements remain subject to regulatory approval.