On 18 September 2026, the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment sent out for consultation a draft amendment to the Electricity Market Act (588/2013) (Fi: sähkömarkkinalaki) that would introduce a new prioritisation model for grid connections.
The proposal responds to a fundamental shift in Finland’s electricity landscape. Grid connection demand has increased due to electrification, growing renewable energy production and, in particular, planned data centre capacity. Fingrid has estimated that data centre investments alone could increase Finland’s total electricity consumption by up to 40% over the next five years.
In some areas, grids have become congested despite active network development, and the current first-come, first-served approach no longer ensures the efficient allocation of scarce capacity. The proposed regime would replace it with a structured framework based on connection capacity, intended use and, for larger projects, voluntary commitments by the connecting party.
Four priority groups based on connection capacity and intended use
Connection requests for electricity consumption sites and energy storage facilities – including requests to expand existing connections – would be placed into four priority groups based on connection capacity and intended use. The procedure would not apply to the connection of power plants; where a connection serves both a consumption site (or storage facility) and a power plant, the applicable group would be determined by the connection’s primary intended use. The regime would cover the transmission grid, high-voltage distribution networks and ordinary distribution networks – 87 network operators in total – but not closed distribution networks.
The key features of the four groups are as follows:
- Location is decisive: Where grid capacity is available, a connection request would proceed without delay. In congested areas, a project’s queue position would depend on its stage of development, any commitments given and the applicable capacity thresholds.
- Capacity thresholds: The four groups are defined primarily by connection capacity.
- Group 1 covers small-scale connections: electricity consumption sites up to three megawatts, data centres up to one megawatt, critical consumption sites, small energy storage up to 100 kVA and storage connected to a power plant complex that is not charged from the grid.
- Group 2 covers electricity consumption sites of 3–100 MW and data centres of 1–10 MW.
- Group 3 covers electricity consumption sites above 100 MW and data centres above 10 MW.
- Group 4 covers other energy storage facilities. The lower thresholds for data centres reflect their continuous power draw, faster deployment and greater locational flexibility.
- Batch processing: Group 1 requests would continue to be processed in order of arrival. Groups 2–4 would be processed in batches twice a year, with the first batch due by 31 December 2027. Within groups 2 and 3, requests would be ranked by location, stage of development and any commitments given.
Improving queue position through voluntary commitments
The proposal introduces two optional mechanisms that a connecting party in group 2 or 3 may attach to its connection request to improve its ranking: a flexibility commitment (Fi: joustositoumus) and a production commitment (Fi: tuotantositoumus). These serve as a secondary ranking criterion, relevant only where the location and development-stage assessment do not distinguish between competing requests.
A flexibility commitment would oblige the connecting party to make available, through an organised marketplace, flexible production capacity or demand-side response equal to at least 10% of the site’s peak demand. For data centres in group 3, the bar is higher: a commitment covering 80% of peak power would be needed to qualify for reclassification into group 2.
A production commitment would require the connecting party to source at least 50% of the site’s estimated annual consumption from a new power plant – one commissioned no more than 36 months before the consumption site – located in the same transmission congestion area as determined by the transmission system operator.
Both types of commitment would remain in force for the entire lifespan of the connection. If the connecting party materially fails to honour its commitment and does not remedy the breach within a reasonable period, the grid operator could terminate the connection agreement. A new request for the same connection point would then be assigned to group 4 for five years. Where available capacity cannot accommodate all qualifying applicants within a group, the remaining capacity would be allocated equally.
Application to pending connection requests
The new regime would also apply to connection requests submitted before its entry into force, provided that no binding connection agreement has yet been concluded. Stakeholders that have already made preparatory investments – such as land acquisitions, planning and grid studies – in reliance on the current first-come, first-served approach should assess their position promptly. A request may, however, be supplemented with a commitment before the first batch is processed.
Overall, the reform would improve predictability, as the priority criteria would be set out in law rather than varying by network operator. For some projects, however, the new regime could delay connection.
Parallel EU regulatory developments
The European Commission is separately preparing binding EU-wide energy efficiency requirements for data centres, with a legislative proposal expected by mid-2027. Stakeholders planning projects in Finland will need to navigate both the national priority connection procedure and the forthcoming EU-level obligations.
Timeline
The law is intended to enter into force on 1 January 2027. Grid operators would need to process the first batch of group 2–4 connection requests by 31 December 2027, giving ongoing projects a transitional period – although their standing would also be assessed against the new criteria.
HPP Energy Team is closely following the progress of the proposal and will keep you updated on further developments.
