While grid capacity is increasingly constraining new power generation, available hosting capacity for demand at the distribution level suggests that grids are ready to support electrification. However, constraints at the transmission level imply that new industrial loads, such as manufacturing facilities or data centres, may face barriers.

 

Grid capacity for new industrial demand varies across the EU

Across the seven countries that publish data on transmission grid capacity for new loads, three report zero capacity available. These are Austria, Bulgaria and Romania. Four countries retain headroom for connecting new large loads. Czechia stands out for the relatively large volume of new demand it can integrate; its available grid capacity of 6.3 GW is equivalent to 60% of its 2024 peak demand. Belgium and Latvia also boast substantial free capacity. The Netherlands offers about 1 GW of available capacity, equivalent to 5% its demand peak.

Although some countries appear better prepared, the speed and sheer volume of connection requests can still cause disruptions. For instance, Danish transmission system operator Energinet announced a temporary pause in new grid connections in March 2026 following a sudden influx of connection requests, particularly from large consumers such as data centres, batteries and power-to-X plants. More than 60 GW of new consumption is currently queued across the transmission and distribution level, an enormous volume considering Denmark’s peak demand in 2024 was just 7.3 GW.

 

Distribution grids are ready to support electrification of households

Figures for available grid capacity indicate that distribution networks are ready to accommodate new consumer loads, which are likely to primarily stem from electrification of heating and cooling.

Among the eight countries that publish the data, six can support the installation of heat pumps in 13% to 32% of all households or EV chargers in 7% to 18% of all households. These include Belgium, Czechia, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania and the Netherlands. Ireland shows the highest potential for electrification, having the capacity to support heat pumps in 32% of households or EV chargers in 18%. Belgium and Latvia also report significant headroom, with capacity for heat pumps in 26% and 21% of households, respectively. Maintaining this headroom will require sustained grid investment as electrification accelerates.

Only two countries have a limited potential for distribution level demand increase. These are Spain, which can only accommodate electrification in 1% to 2% of households, and Poland. Only one of the five major Polish distribution system operators reports hosting capacity availability for demand, and the figures indicate that only 2% to 3% of its customers could be covered.