New companies cannot establish themselves in our province for the time being: the power grid is full. Private individuals can still get a new connection, but there is no more room for companies. This was announced by network owner TenneT. This is a disastrous development from an economic point of view, says Tilburg University employment expert Ton Wilthagen. “The arrival of new companies is apparently locked. Brabant is the growth engine of the Dutch economy. If we can no longer grow here, the whole of the Netherlands will immediately be locked.”
“It’s the new lockdown”, occupational health expert Wilthagen responds somewhat ironically. “It really has a lot of consequences for the Dutch economy if you think about this. Such a standstill in activity spreads like an oil slick through the rest of the country.”
“A business stop in Brabant would be disastrous for the Netherlands.”
“Consider Brainport, for example,” he continues. “Many innovative start-ups are settling there. They are often working on improving the energy transition. They come up with better chips and new solutions for our energy consumption, which is also coming to a standstill.”
The labor market expert cannot imagine a business shutdown of three years until 2025 when there is more space on the net again. “That would be disastrous for the labor market, the economy and the development of new products. We then have to choose between things in which we do not want to choose. Are we going to promote sustainability and close other companies, for example.”
“A network can be expanded quickly, getting permits is the problem.”
According to Colleague Bert Willems, who teaches market forces in the energy sector at Tilburg University, the problem is not so much with the network: “A power line is laid in no time. So the network can be expanded quickly there. It is mainly a problem of permits. and plenty of transformers.”
According to him, they are not simply arranged. “Land must be expropriated and there is probably also a shortage of transformer parts, as there is now a shortage of products and raw materials everywhere.”
Willems sees that due to TenneT’s announcement that it will no longer be able to connect new companies, the pressure on the government is now increasing. “That government can ensure that the expansion of the network is accelerated. It will still take time, but pressure sometimes makes the impossible possible.”
“Using less at peak times for a fee is also a solution.”
In the meantime, quick solutions can be looked for that can provide more space on the electricity network. Willems: “Tests have already been carried out to make agreements with large-scale consumers. They then consume less or deliver at peak times, for a fee. That provides more space for others.”
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