On February 12, 2026, TenneT issued a warning about a connection stop for small consumers in the Flevopolder, Gelderland, and Utrecht (FGU) region. There is still much uncertainty about what this precisely means for Almere. This causes social unrest among residents, entrepreneurs, and partners. For Almere, this is unacceptable. Almere has long been ready, in collaboration with partners, to implement solutions that can relieve the current pressure on the electricity grid. A decisive national government, TenneT, and Liander are crucial to making this possible, including by removing obstructive laws and regulations and providing financial resources.

Alderman Alexander Sprong: “TenneT calls for strong interventions. The municipality of Almere will not fall short. We are ready with our partners. What is missing is decisive support from the national government and TenneT. Remove the obstacles, and we will deliver. Urgency is needed, and I call on the minister to take action.”

Priority for local solutions in Almere

The council therefore urges TenneT and the national government to prioritize local solutions in Almere that counteract grid congestion in the city and region. This involves deploying controllable generation, contributing to accelerating the construction of energy infrastructure, and promoting smart energy use, including through energy hubs and balancing neighborhoods.

Indispensable solution

An indispensable solution is the deployment of temporary controllable generation. Temporary generators, such as gas turbines, can resolve power shortages during peak moments. This not only provides short-term space for Almere but also for the region. Given TenneTs call, this is currently the only measure that can create sufficient space within a foreseeable time to prevent a connection stop. It is crucial that the national government and grid operators hurry and fully support and enable this solution approach.

Various solutions

In addition, the municipality has worked hard in recent years with Liander and TenneT on various solutions. Think of expanding electricity cabinets, cables, and building additional control and substations. Work is also underway on energy hubs where companies share electricity. The municipality aims to realize the new Hortus and Pampus districts as balancing neighborhoods as much as possible. In these balancing neighborhoods, households generate their own electricity, store it, and share it with each other. They are then independent of the power grid and supply each other with electricity.

Calculations must show the impact

The municipality criticizes that it is unclear what the impact of a possible connection stop in Almere is. Is it a complete immediate stop, or are ongoing applications for, for example, planned homes and small businesses still granted? For a growing city like Almere, the precise interpretation naturally has a significant impact. The municipality urges TenneT to provide clarity as soon as possible so that the municipality can respond accordingly and Almere residents and entrepreneurs know what to expect.