Israel to Cap New Data Center Power at 200 Megawatts
Translated & summarized from NEWSru Israel by baba
Israel's Electricity Authority plans to limit new data centers to 200 megawatts each, a move aimed at protecting the national power grid and allowing for more facilities. This comes as data centers are projected to consume 20% of the country's electricity by 2030. The proposed cap would disallow several large-scale projects already in the pipeline, including one planned at 1100 megawatts. The authority aims to prevent grid instability and widespread outages, as data center demand is constant and cannot be easily curtailed.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israel's Electricity Authority will cap new data centers at 200 megawatts each.
- Data centers are projected to consume 20% of Israel's electricity by 2030.
- The new limit would block planned facilities of 1100 and 875 megawatts.
- The cap aims to protect the national grid from instability and outages.
- Total requested data center capacity exceeds current generation capacity.
Israel's Electricity Authority intends to limit the capacity of each new data center to 200 megawatts, according to Calcalist. This move follows a 140-day suspension of new data center connection applications initiated in June for an internal review. A draft decision outlining the new connection procedures will be presented for public comment on October 18, with a three-week period for feedback before a final version is published.
By 2030, data centers are projected to consume approximately 20% of Israel's total electricity. While 200 megawatts is substantial, the state-owned grid company Noga has already received applications for 50 data centers exceeding this limit. Mega DC, controlled by Tzahi Nachmias, plans a 1100-megawatt facility in Hadera, and SDS, controlled by Yossi Shinfeld, proposes an 875-megawatt center in Nesher. These larger projects would not be approved under the new regulations.
Electricity Authority officials believe the cap will enable the construction of more data centers while protecting the national grid. They warn that the failure of a high-capacity data center could destabilize grid frequency and cause widespread power outages. The total capacity requested in applications has reached 27,000 megawatts, significantly exceeding Israel's current generation capacity of 18,800 megawatts. Unlike other major consumers, data centers cannot have their operations suspended, and their power draw remains constant throughout the day.
The proposed regulations do not restrict the physical location of data centers. However, they will likely prevent direct connections to power plants, bypassing the national grid operator, Israel Electric Corporation. This measure aims to prevent a single consumer from monopolizing generation capacity intended for the general public. Forecasts predict a 3.5% annual increase in electricity consumption over the coming decades, potentially reaching 5.2% in the near future, largely driven by data center growth.
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