The provinces say they have been surprised by TenneT’s decision and want to come up with an “action plan for more and smarter capacity on the electricity network” as soon as possible. “The decision of the network administrator is unprecedented and unacceptable. The consequences for both the energy transition and the rest of Limburg society are considerable,” says Limburg deputy Maarten van Gaans-Gijbels. “I therefore call on all parties involved to go to extremes and to explore new paths to prevent the effects.”
Anne-Marie Spierings, deputy of Noord-Brabant, also calls the stop on the net unacceptable. “Precisely now that we want to reduce dependence on (foreign) gas, the electricity infrastructure in a large part of the Netherlands is reaching its limit.”
According to the provinces, the impact of the stop will be enormous. For example, new companies cannot establish themselves if they need a large-scale consumer connection and existing companies cannot expand their current connection. In addition, there are major consequences for the energy transition, according to the provinces. For example, companies cannot switch from fossil energy sources to electricity, and wind farms and solar meadows that already have a permit cannot be connected. “Let alone initiatives that have yet to start the permit procedure.”