Italy's grid operator Terna reports that data center power connection requests have surged to 100 gigawatts. While this highlights a digital infrastructure boom, actual buildable capacity is much lower, and the speculative nature of these requests creates significant planning challenges for energy systems.
Italy is facing a significant infrastructure challenge as the domestic demand for electricity from data centers has rapidly outpaced the physical capacity of the national grid. Terna, the national grid operator, recently reported that connection requests for new data centers have reached over 100 gigawatts across nearly 600 projects. This figure marks a sharp increase from the 42 gigawatts recorded in May 2025, underscoring the intense pressure digital expansion is placing on energy infrastructure.
While the 100-gigawatt headline figure suggests a massive wave of development, it includes a large volume of speculative or early-stage projects. Grid operators and industry experts distinguish between these aggregate requests and the actual capacity that is likely to be built. Realistic projections suggest that only about 2 to 3 gigawatts of new data center capacity will become operational between 2028 and 2030. This creates a complex planning environment for utilities, which must manage the grid to support legitimate projects without overcommitting resources to speculative developments that may never materialize.
Regional concentration is intensifying the problem. The Lombardy region, and specifically the Milan area, currently hosts 68% of Italy’s data center power capacity. This high density creates localized bottlenecks, as the power infrastructure in these specific zones struggles to keep up with the concentrated demand. For investors and energy companies, this highlights a critical need for balanced territorial planning. The challenge lies in upgrading the grid to handle the inevitable growth in digital energy needs while avoiding the volatility that comes from managing an inflated pipeline of uncertain projects.
Beyond the immediate engineering concerns, the situation serves as a bellwether for European energy systems. The disparity between requested power and the physical ability of the network to deliver it is becoming a common theme. Terna is currently using advanced planning models to filter viable projects, attempting to separate long-term, feasible developments from speculative filings that risk destabilizing the grid. The future of data center growth in Italy will likely depend on how effectively the grid operator can streamline these connections and align power supply with the actual, rather than the requested, pace of digital expansion.