The electricity grid is currently ‘largely full, probably full or almost full’ in all provinces, Minister Rob Jetten (Climate and Energy) reports to the House of Representatives. To prevent power outages at peak times, companies must switch on their machines more often at other times.
The government wants grid operators to make agreements with companies to consume or produce less electricity at so-called peak times for a fee. This is, for example, between 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM. Then both companies and households use a lot of electricity.
A contract that guarantees companies the capacity to transmit electricity 24 hours a day, seven days a week, becomes a luxury product with a higher price. The standard will be a flexible contract, so that companies use or generate less electricity at the busiest times.
Billions have been invested in expanding the electricity grid for years, but the demand for space is growing faster than cables can be laid. The government is committed to making land available for construction and shortening the licensing process. Jetten believes that the procedure for certain expansion projects that have a ‘major social interest’ can be shortened by 1.5 years.
The government also wants to experiment more and use the lessons learned from those tests. ‘Far-reaching measures’ are being tested for ‘a small number of high-voltage projects’ in areas with the biggest problems. For example, grid operator TenneT could start construction even though the permit is not yet final, for example because groups have filed an appeal with the Council of State.
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