The problem. A grid connection request is not capacity. In France, a data centre project must pass five filters before it is actually connected, and a buyer, investor or lender needs to know which ones it has already passed. Announcements and databases do not tell you: you have to read the documents and check on the ground.
Our answer. The five filters, each with its rule, its date, its source and what our experts check on a file.
| Filter | The rule | Since | Source | What our experts check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. 400 kV fast track | Sites identified by the State, connected to the 400 kV grid, with a target of energisation within three to four years. A bank guarantee of 10% of the extension works, then a 30% down payment on the total cost. | 7 May 2025 | CRE (French energy regulator), deliberation 2025-120 | Is the site among those identified? Are the guarantees and down payments in the financing plan? |
| 2. Project of major national interest | A data centre can be designated a project of major national interest by decree: the State can align local planning documents, with the mayor's or the intermunicipal authority's agreement, and the protected species procedure is accelerated. The same article creates a grid capacity reservation procedure for large electricity consumers. A permit can be refused if local water resources are insufficient. | Law of 26 May 2026 | Law no. 2026-403 on simplifying economic life, article 35; French Senate report no. 949 (September 2026) | Can the project qualify? What do the water and biodiversity studies say? Does the timeline depend on a decree still to be published? |
| 3. Entering and staying in the queue | To enter the queue: the offer's terms signed without reservation, land control, a first down payment, proof of progress or a flat €1,000 per MW. Each year, the project must prove its progress again. A reform put to consultation by RTE in early 2026 would give priority to the most advanced projects. | In force; reform announced for 2027, subject to regulator approval | RTE consumer connection procedure; RTE consultation on reforming customer connections (2026); the Senate recommends this shift to "first ready, first served" (report no. 949, recommendation 2) | Queue entry date, next annual review deadline, strength of land control and proof of progress. |
| 4. Unused capacity | RTE can reduce the capacity of a site that consistently draws less than planned. For agreements signed since 1 August 2025: full capacity from availability, or a stepped ramp-up over ten years at most. | 1 August 2025 | French Energy Code, article L. 342-24 | Is the site's real ramp-up compatible with the agreement? How many MW are exposed? |
| 5. Transfer of the connection offer | A connection offer (PTF) can only be transferred to a company in the applicant's own group, by an amendment signed with RTE. Buying a project with its connection means buying the company that holds the offer. | 29 June 2024 | RTE consumer connection procedure, approved by the CRE (deliberation 2024-96 of 13 June 2024) | Which company holds the offer? Does the deal structure (land purchase or share purchase) preserve the connection? |
Rules change: this guide is dated November 2026 and will be updated when the texts change. It is general information, not legal advice. Sources are detailed on our Sources page, and terms in the glossary.
What our experts check for each
To keep at hand for an acquisition, a financing or a connection request
GOING FURTHER
For a specific site, our experts check where the project stands on each filter: see queue position, power claim verification and the GridScore grid connection audit. Coming from abroad? See developing a data centre in France.
See also: one schedule for water and power.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Does this guide replace RTE's and the regulator's texts?
No. It summarises the rules and points to their sources. For a specific project, the connection documents and the procedures in force prevail.
Why ask for a business email?
To know who uses the guide and, where relevant, to discuss your project. Your data is neither sold nor shared.
What changes in 2027?
In early 2026 RTE consulted on a queue reform that would give priority to the most advanced projects. It is announced for 2027, subject to the regulator's approval.