Denmark's state-owned grid operator Energinet halted new grid connection agreements for data centers in March 2026 after a flood of capacity requests strained the power system. [1]
About 60 GW of projects are waiting for links to Denmark's grid, far above the country's peak electricity demand of about 7 GW. Data centers make up nearly a quarter of that queue, or 14 GW, according to the facts provided. [1]
The pause could last longer if grid bottlenecks persist as demand from data centers rises. The pressure reflects both the AI boom and broader electrification tied to the energy transition and digitalization. [1]
Henrik Hansen, chief executive of the Data Center Industry Association, said the sector needs to face the limits of the power system. “We have to be realistic and look at what is actually available,” he said, adding that it is not possible to “go berserk with all kinds of connection agreements” because the power is not available. He also called for stronger criteria to sort the queue and prioritize projects. [1]
Denmark is the first Nordic country to confront limits on data center growth because of electricity demand, the facts show. In Europe, only the Netherlands and Ireland have imposed full moratoriums on data centers before, and both later eased restrictions under some conditions. [1]
The debate is spreading beyond Denmark. US states including Maine, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Oklahoma are also considering moratoriums on data center construction over energy concerns. [1]
Energinet's pause was introduced in March 2026, and the operator may extend it as it reviews grid capacity constraints and demand from the sector. [1]
