National power grids in Europe are currently ill-equipped to handle the growing electricity needs of heavy industry and data centers, with many countries facing significant bottlenecks. While some nations have enough space to connect new factories, others report having no available capacity at all at the transmission level, according to the authors of the newly released report.
“Available capacity is sufficient to connect large industrial sites in four out of the seven reporting countries.” However, “constraints at the transmission level imply that new industrial loads, such as manufacturing facilities or data centres, may face barriers.”
This means that while some countries have kept their high-voltage power networks ready for big projects, nearly half of the nations that provide data are at a standstill. In countries like Austria, Bulgaria, and Romania, the main power lines that carry electricity over long distances are essentially full, meaning any company looking to build a large new facility would likely be unable to plug into the system. This lack of available space on the grid threatens the region’s ability to expand its industrial base and transition to a modern economy.
The report “Crossed wires: Grid capacity could block EU energy security” was published by the energy think tank Ember on 1 April 2026. It was prepared by a research team led by Senior Energy Analyst Elisabeth Cremona.
