The electricity grid is full and can no longer handle the growing demand for electricity. That is why we have been working on strengthening the grid in our province for some time. The Committee for Environmental Impact Reports (MER) advises TenneT to better explain what strengthening the electricity grid means for nature, water and soil in the Drents Overijsselse Netversterking (DON) project.
The EIA committee asks TenneT to investigate two matters further. Firstly, the consequences of laying underground cables through clay layers need to be examined more closely. Clay layers retain water, and if these layers are penetrated, groundwater can drain. This is harmful to natural areas, such as peatlands. In addition, the committee wants TenneT not only to look at the individual parts of the project, but at the environmental consequences of the entire project at once.
You can compare the electricity grid with a highway. The large high-voltage lines are the highways that carry a lot of electricity. The medium voltage can be compared to provincial roads, which bring electricity to villages and neighborhoods. The low voltage is like the streets in a neighborhood, which ultimately bring the power to your home.
The electricity grid in the Netherlands was mainly constructed in the 1960s, when we used much less electricity. “Back then, electricity was mainly for lamps and a few household appliances,” says Mark de Weerd of TenneT. The need for power has grown enormously since then.
In Drenthe, the network was originally not so heavily loaded, because there was much less demand for electricity than now. Now that demand is increasing, especially due to an increase in electric cars, computers and heat pumps, the grid is now becoming overloaded.
TenneT transmits the electricity via the high masts throughout the country and Enexis distributes it across Drenthe. Enexis itself has nothing to do with the report, but brings electricity to people’s homes.
In addition to an increase in use, we are generating more and more sustainable energy, such as wind and solar energy. “This increase in energy input also places a large burden on our electricity grid,” says Roy Postma of regional grid operator Enexis.
The grid in Drenthe is not designed for so much self-generated electricity. “That is why we are fully committed to strengthening, expanding and maintaining our electricity grids,” says Postma.
“If the electricity grid is strengthened at high-voltage level, the regional grid operators can also expand the medium- and low-voltage grids,” says De Weerd. “This helps households with their demand for more electricity, for example to make their home more sustainable with heat pumps or more space for charging stations at home,” says Postma.
Although the power grid is being expanded, the demand for electricity continues to increase, so Enexis calls on residents to use electricity sparingly. “For example, turn on the dishwasher or washing machine in the afternoon instead of immediately upon returning home after work. This way we spread the peak and that has a positive influence on the capacity of the grid.”
The EIA committee recommends improving TenneT’s environmental impact report before a final decision is made by the province. TenneT expects to be able to do this quickly. “We have conducted separate research for each part of the project. We will now bring all the results together to provide a clear and complete overview of the impacts.”