Greek electricity market bill in consultation: data centres, flexible grid connections and an island fund (October 2026)
A Greek energy bill in consultation to 24 Oct 2026 would make new data centres pay for their grid connection, cover 60% of their use from renewables and post a €200,000/MW guarantee. It also introduces flexible grid connections.
Status: a draft bill, not yet law#
On 10 October 2026 the Ministry of Environment and Energy (ΥΠΕΝ) put a draft law out for public consultation. Its title is "Improving the design of the electricity market – transposition of Directive (EU) 2024/1711 and other provisions". Consultation on opengov.gr runs until 24 October 2026.
Everything below describes the draft as the ministry published it. The text can change after consultation and in Parliament. Only the version published in the Government Gazette (ΦΕΚ) will be law. We will update this note when it is tabled or enacted.
Snapshot#
| Proposed measure | Who it affects | Where in the draft |
|---|---|---|
| Investor pays the full cost of connection and of grid reinforcement needed only for the data centre | New data centres | Data centre chapter |
| At least 60% of annual electricity use from renewables, from start of operation | New data centres | New Art. 50Ζ, Law 4951/2022 (draft Art. 27) |
| Bank guarantee of €200,000 per MW of maximum consumption capacity to apply for a final connection offer | Data centre applicants | New Art. 50Γ, Law 4951/2022 (draft Art. 23) |
| Data centre register kept by the regulator, RAAEY | Data centres | New Art. 50Ε, Law 4951/2022 |
| Flexible connection agreements where grid capacity is short | New generation and demand connections | Grid connections chapter |
| Quarterly publication of available connection capacity by area | IPTO and HEDNO | Grid connections chapter |
| Islands Decarbonisation Fund, about €2.3bn programme, co-financing up to 60% | Island energy projects | Part II |
Data centres#
The draft adds new articles to Law 4951/2022. According to the ministry's summary and the draft text:
- Which operator. Projects up to 10 MW of maximum consumption apply to the distribution operator, HEDNO. Larger projects apply to the transmission operator, IPTO. Projects that form one functional unit cannot be split to fall under the lower threshold.
- Connection costs. The investor bears the full cost of connection and of reinforcement works caused only by the data centre.
- Renewables share. From the start of operation, at least 60% of a data centre's total annual consumption must come from renewable generation. It can be met through a direct connection to renewable plants and storage, through financially settled bilateral agreements, or through physical delivery from renewable producers.
- Guarantee. An application for a final connection offer needs a bank guarantee of €200,000 per MW. The ministry says the aim is to stop immature applications from reserving grid capacity. The guarantee falls by 25% once the connection contract is signed.
- Large projects. Applications above 200 MW get priority if the owner commits to cover at least 80% of maximum consumption from dispatchable units and/or storage of at least six hours, commissioned after 1 January 2027.
- Screening. Turnover criteria apply to applicants connecting to the transmission system, and stricter maturity tests apply before a final connection offer is issued.
Flexible grid connections#
Where there is not enough capacity for a firm connection, the draft introduces flexible connection agreements. The connecting party accepts in advance that the operator may limit its injection or withdrawal within agreed limits.
- Curtailment within the agreed limits is not compensated.
- Curtailment beyond them gives a right to compensation.
- Non-compliance charges apply to users who do not respect the limits.
- RAAEY would designate the areas where flexible connections apply, on the operators' proposal.
- A flexible connection can later become a firm one once the grid works are done.
IPTO and HEDNO would also have to publish available connection capacity by area every quarter. Connection applications would be filed only digitally.
Other provisions with investment relevance#
- Islands Decarbonisation Fund. The fund would channel an investment programme of about €2.3 billion to the islands. It could co-finance up to 60% of eligible project costs (renewables and storage, interconnections, charging infrastructure, multi-purpose dams). Its main resource is the auctioning of up to 25 million emission allowances by the European Investment Bank.
- Suppliers. Electricity suppliers must offer fixed-price contracts of at least one year and must hedge wholesale price risk. RAAEY would run stress tests.
- Repowering. Owners of renewable plants who replace equipment before end of life could keep their original tariff for part of their output.
Why it matters#
The data centre rules set the cost and paperwork of securing grid capacity for one of the fastest-growing sources of electricity demand. Flexible connections could let some projects connect before grid reinforcements are finished, but on curtailment terms agreed in advance. Grid investment plans are covered in our energy investment signals note. Data centre and logistics deals are logged in the deals tracker.