Transparent Grids for All Grid(un)lock: Hosting Capacity Maps

This report by Ember advocates for the implementation of transparent grid hosting capacity maps to accelerate the energy transition in Europe. It outlines how such maps can reduce grid connection queues and optimize network use, discusses new EU legislative requirements for TSOs and DSOs, and proposes a framework for an "ideal" map including substation-level granularity and open-source data access.

• Grid hosting capacity maps provide critical information on available space for new capacity at specific locations, which helps project promoters for renewables, electrolysers, data centres, and EV chargers make informed location decisions. This visibility can reduce time spent in connection queues, speed up investment decisions, and prevent the practice of submitting multiple 'fishing' requests for various locations.
• Revised EU electricity market legislation now mandates that Transmission System Operators (TSOs) and Distribution System Operators (DSOs) publish high-spatial-granularity information on available capacity, including capacity under request and flexible connection options in congested areas. TSOs must update this information at least monthly, while DSOs must do so at least quarterly.
• The Grid Action Plan tasks ENTSO-E and the EU DSO Entity with harmonising definitions for available grid hosting capacity and establishing a pan-EU overview of these capacities by mid-2025.
• Ember defines an "ideal" hosting capacity map as one that features substation-level granularity, covers the operator's entire territory, and is accompanied by an open-source database. It should include transparent assumptions on planned grid development, publish allocated and queuing resources per type to encourage matchmaking (e.g., battery storage with solar), and integrate data across different levels of grid governance.

APA

Pató, Z., Cremona, E., & Rosslowe, C. (2024). Transparent Grids for All Grid(un)lock: Hosting Capacity Maps. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/07/Ember-Hosting-capacity-maps-pdf.pdf

Chicago

Pató, Zsuzsanna, Elisabeth Cremona, and Chris Rosslowe. Transparent Grids for All Grid(un)lock: Hosting Capacity Maps. Ember, 2024. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/07/Ember-Hosting-capacity-maps-pdf.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Pató |first1=Zsuzsanna |last2=Cremona |first2=Elisabeth |last3=Rosslowe |first3=Chris |title=Transparent Grids for All Grid(un)lock: Hosting Capacity Maps |publisher=Ember |date=24 July 2024 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/07/Ember-Hosting-capacity-maps-pdf.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pat2024transparent, author = {Pató, Zsuzsanna and Cremona, Elisabeth and Rosslowe, Chris}, title = {{Transparent Grids for All Grid(un)lock: Hosting Capacity Maps}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2024}, month = jul, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/07/Ember-Hosting-capacity-maps-pdf.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }