Malaysia’s electricity utility Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) is investing RM43 billion (US$ 10.8 billion) to modernise its grid to meet data center demand, says TNB chief grid officer Hasmarizal Hassan recently, as quoted by Bernama, Malaysia’s national news agency.
It added that future energy requirements are already incorporated into national generation planning to ensure long-term system readiness.
Hasmarizal shared how the utility is preparing grid infrastructure to support the industry’s rapid expansion. In particular its Green Lane Pathway has managed to reduce grid connection timelines from 36 to 12 months. As of March 2026, 33 projects have been delivered under the framework.
“To manage large-scale demand growth, TNB is also adopting a cluster-based grid strategy, concentrating transmission infrastructure investments across identified growth corridors,” the grid specialist said.
“Johor is one of the key active clusters under the strategy, with further nationwide expansion planned to support scalability while maintaining overall system reliability.”