Who holds the capacity
The Swedish state owns the main grid, and Svenska kraftnät manages and develops it. Below that level come the regional grid companies. On Svenska kraftnät's capacity map, the agreements on allocated or reserved capacity mainly concern those regional companies.
The map
Svenska kraftnät published the first version of a national capacity map in 2026, reviewed on 27 May. It shows, county by county, how much capacity is indicatively available, in ranges, next to what is allocated under signed agreements, reserved after a study, or applied for and not yet studied. The authority stresses that the map is no replacement for the formal connection process, and that the categories span different periods, so the figures can't just be added or subtracted.
The order of the line
For connections to the main grid, Svenska kraftnät's own principles (version of 1 July 2026) make turn order the basic principle: the applicant who first submitted a complete application is offered available capacity first. A reserved queue place is lost if the applicant doesn't sign within the deadlines or show progress on schedule. For the grids below, in January 2024, Svenska kraftnät noted that Sweden had no rules for ranking connection requests that compete for the same capacity, beyond the general duty to give access on objective, transparent and non-discriminatory terms. Its non-binding recommendation to grid companies: serve the first complete application first, start a reservation on the date that application arrived, and let an application that fits the existing grid go ahead of one that doesn't, provided the impact on the other stays limited. In May 2026 it presented a proposal for capacity zones reserved for named customer types, where the capacity would go to whoever is ready first.
The law hasn't changed on the order of the line. In June 2026 the Riksdag passed a new electricity market act, in force from 1 January 2027. Its chapter on connection keeps the duty to connect on objective, non-discriminatory and reasonable terms, and the duties on timetables and on information about how a request is handled. It doesn't set an order for requests that compete for the same capacity. We also found no regulation from Ei, the energy regulator, on that order in its list of regulations on 17 October 2026.
What we look at in Sweden
We identify the regional grid company behind a site, because the map's allocations and reservations mainly concern those companies, and we read the map as an indication only. Then we ask what ordering principle the company applies and whether the position is still being held. For Sweden set next to Norway and Finland, see the Nordic grids side by side.
Questions we get
Does Svenska kraftnät's map show what's available at a particular site?
No. It gives an indication by county. The authority is clear that it's no substitute for the formal connection process.
Are there rules on the order of connection requests in Sweden?
On the main grid, yes, as Svenska kraftnät's own principles: turn order, by the date of a complete application, with a reserved queue place lost if progress stops. For the grids below, in January 2024 Svenska kraftnät noted that no rules set the order, beyond the general duty to give access on objective, transparent and non-discriminatory terms. Its own recommendation on the order isn't binding. The new electricity market act passed in June 2026, in force from 1 January 2027, doesn't set an order either. A proposal from May 2026 would put capacity zones up for competition on who is ready first.
Related: Norway, Finland and grid connection capacity.
General information, not legal advice. Rules and pages as read on 17 October 2026.