The obviousness of electricity under pressure
The demand for electricity in the Netherlands is enormous and continues to increase. Faster than the speed at which the grid can be expanded. Investments worth billions are not sufficient. Grid operators signal that the Netherlands is entering a next phase, in which access to the electricity grid will come under further pressure. Without drastic measures, housing construction, economic growth and sustainability in the Netherlands will slow down.
In more and more places, a new connection or reinforcement for a company or home is no longer self-evident. This requires a serious acceleration of the expansion of the electricity grid. Grid operators and the government are also taking additional measures to keep the electricity grid accessible and reliable, such as requiring smart charging stations, controllable heat pumps and mandatorily relieving the load on the power grid at peak times.
Capacity limits are increasingly being reached
The national grid operator TenneT recently published that there is no longer any space available on the electricity grid for entrepreneurs in North Holland, Utrecht, Gelderland, the Flevopolder, the Rotterdam port area and Goeree-Overflakkee. And the limits of capacity are also emerging in other provinces and regions.
Changing energy system requires different behavior
The network is especially under pressure at peak times. This can cause failures or malfunctions. Good security is needed to keep the consequences for the total energy supply as small as possible. Other behavior can also help, for example shifting use to times when there is a lot of wind or sun. Companies can also coordinate their electricity supply and demand locally, which means less space is required on the power grid.
Build faster and use smarter
Grid operators work hard every day on the large-scale renovation of the Dutch energy system. Rapid availability of land, government choices and smooth permit and procedural processes are necessary. If this - in combination with other behavior - succeeds, relieving the burden and making better use of the electricity grid is a promising mission.
Help improve the quality of the network
Do you also want to contribute as best as possible to the quality and availability of our electricity through your professional environment? In our Electricity Grid Security and Power Quality courses, you will gain the latest knowledge that you can immediately apply in practice.
