Finland proposes new power grid priority rules for data centers

The Finnish government has drafted an amendment to overhaul its power grid connection system, moving away from a first-come, first-served model. The new policy introduces four distinct connection categories designed to prioritize smaller projects and reduce pressure on electricity prices and network capacity.

Under the proposed system, facilities requiring 3MW or less, including certain critical infrastructure and storage systems, will receive top priority. Large data centers will generally be excluded from this highest tier unless their connection capacity is 1MW or less.

Data centers requiring between 1MW and 10MW will fall into a second category, where they may receive preferential treatment if they enter flexibility agreements covering at least 80% of their peak demand through generation capacity. Projects exceeding 10MW will be placed in a separate third category. The government aims to encourage major power users to contribute to grid stability and local electricity production.