The electricity grid is under massive pressure. The green transition has sent a historically large number of solar parks, wind projects, batteries, and new electricity consumers towards Energinet's queue for grid connection. However, the capacity of the transmission network and the resources for case processing cannot keep up.
The result is long waiting times and projects that, in practice, block each other. Therefore, Energinet is now abandoning the first-come, first-served principle. From 1 February 2026, a new prioritisation model has been introduced, where green projects are sorted by maturity and by how well they utilise the existing electricity grid.
Energinet itself calls it a more transparent and efficient process. In practice, this means that not all green projects are equally welcome anymore.
The electricity grid forces Energinet to prioritise
According to Energinet, interest in grid connection continues to grow, while the electricity grid in large parts of the country is under pressure. Projects have become more numerous, larger, and more complex, creating a queue that can no longer be managed in a purely chronological order.
The new model aims to ensure that resources are used on projects that are most likely to be realised quickly and that place the least burden on the electricity grid. Therefore, both actual maturity requirements and new prioritisation criteria are introduced.
In the future, network customers must document that they have control over the project area, and they must present a comprehensive and realistic schedule before Energinet begins to screen the project. At the same time, projects are prioritised based on whether they can be connected without new fields, within existing station areas, and whether they contribute to a better balance between production and consumption.
Here are the winners in South Zealand and on Lolland-Falster
In South Zealand and Lolland-Falster, the model has particular significance because the area is already characterised by large electricity production from solar and wind.
The clear winners are projects that can better utilise the existing network. Batteries and hybrid projects that can be connected to existing solar and wind installations without new fields move to the front of the queue. The same applies to projects that can be connected within the station area without requiring station expansions.
Large electricity consumers also stand stronger. Energinet prioritises consumption facilities in production-dominated areas because local consumption can absorb green electricity and relieve the network. This provides better conditions for Power-to-X, data centres, and other energy-intensive industries in southeast Denmark.
Finally, mature projects are rewarded. Developers who have control over areas, local plans, and schedules can move ahead of less mature projects, even if they are reported later.
And here are the losers
The losers are primarily new, large solar and wind projects in areas where a lot of electricity is already being produced. If a project requires both a new station and a new local plan, it is placed at the back of the priority list and can face very long delays.
Early and speculative projects also lose ground. Without documentation of land rights and a well-developed timeline, projects do not progress in the same way as before.
At the same time, municipalities with slow planning processes can become indirect losers. Local planning work is included as a criterion that can advance projects. Projects without political and planning progress therefore risk being overtaken.
A new green sorting
Energinet's new model does not in itself solve the lack of capacity in the electricity grid. But it fundamentally changes who gets to come first.
In South Zealand and on Lolland-Falster, this means that green development will increasingly focus on storage, electricity consumption, and maturity - and to a lesser extent on even more solar panels and wind turbines.
