News item | 04-02-2026 | 09:00
The full power grid has major consequences for the Netherlands. Companies that want a new or heavier connection often have to wait a long time. Plans to start, expand or make a company or organization more sustainable must therefore be adjusted or shelved. The government, grid operators and the business community are therefore taking joint action to connect as many companies and organizations as possible to the queue.
Minister Sophie Hermans: “Entrepreneurs who are waiting for a new or more powerful connection cannot wait until the power grid has been expanded. The government and the business community are therefore joining forces to offer them prospects in the short term. With these agreements we ensure that as many companies and organizations on the waiting list as possible can be connected more quickly.”
Ingrid Thijssen, chairman of VNO-NCW: “Grid congestion is one of the biggest obstacles in our investment climate. Therefore, a compliment to the minister and all parties involved for the cooperation and open attitude to finding solutions. If we implement these measures properly together, many companies can grow and become more sustainable again.”
Eight actions to tackle the queue
The government, grid operators, regulators and the business community have committed to eight actions. Together these have the potential to connect a significant part of the current queue within 2 years. The effects will differ per region. For example, the potential in the Flevopolder, Gelderland and Utrecht region is limited because a shortage of space must first be resolved before new space becomes available.
The new agreements make it easier and more attractive for companies and organizations to (partly) shift power consumption to times outside peak times. This will free up space for parties that are currently in the queue. In addition, the government and the grid operators have agreed to take a critical look at the ‘reserve space’ on the power grid. Examples of the agreements to reduce the queue:
Grid operators will have more financial scope to make agreements with companies and organizations that free up capacity on the grid. For example, companies can move part of their production to a different time. The aim is to conclude many more contracts over the next two years to free up capacity for parties in the queue.
In addition to one-on-one appointments, there will be at least one starting this year four regional tenders where multiple companies can submit a bid to make room on the power grid in selected regions. These could be energy producers or factories, but also batteries or companies that can adjust their power use. The lower the costs, the more likely a company is to be deployed.
With the Top 50 approach Over the next six months, the business community, government and grid operators will be committed to agreements with the 50 largest power users with great potential to relieve the power grid. Successful examples from the past show that these agreements can free up space for dozens of companies in the queue at once.
The government and grid operators are going look critically at the use of the ‘reserve space’ for very exceptional situations such as extremely cold days and expected future power consumption. This is combined with agreements with parties that can switch off at extreme times to prevent problems.
Cooperation
The approach to freeing up more space on the power grid is a collaboration between the government, the grid operators, the business community (VNO-NCW/MKB-Nederland and the Dutch Sustainable Energy Association) and the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets. Together they have mapped out what is needed to ‘use the power grid more flexibly’, in other words to make better use of the space outside the busiest times on the power grid. This allows companies and new homes to be connected more quickly. In April, the cabinet and grid operators already took measures to expand the power grid more quickly, but that will take time anyway.
The report can be found here.
