The Province and municipalities of Utrecht are preparing for a connection stop on the electricity grid that may start as early as summer. Grid operator TenneT announced on 12 February that the available transport capacity in large parts of the Utrecht region is fully utilized. This means that both large and small consumers will not receive new connections during a connection stop. This means new homes cannot be connected, companies cannot establish or expand, and households cannot make their homes more sustainable. Also, upgrading existing connections, such as for charging stations or heat pumps, will no longer be possible.
The Province and municipalities consider it very likely that the connection stop will actually be declared. According to TenneT, the demand for electricity is growing faster than the expansion of the high-voltage grid can keep up with. Structural additional capacity is expected to be available only in the period 2033–2035.
Major consequences for housing, sustainability and economy
A general connection stop means that:
- New homes will not receive a standard grid connection
- Companies cannot establish, expand or become more sustainable where a new or heavier grid connection is required
- Households cannot upgrade their connection for example for heat pumps or electric cooking
- The rollout of charging stations will be severely limited
For (housing) projects for which the grid connection has already been allocated, nothing changes for now. This means that homes with an allocated grid connection that are currently under construction or whose construction will start soon can continue as planned. The problems mainly arise with new construction projects planned for a few years from now. If a full connection stop actually occurs, 52,500 planned new homes in the province cannot be connected for the time being.
More than 1,100 companies are already on the waiting list and public charging stations can no longer be connected. Small and medium-sized enterprises are also hard hit by a connection stop: additional sustainability or innovation is hindered due to lack of space on the electricity grid.
Regional crisis approach started
The Province and municipalities are working together on the regional Acute Grid Scarcity Action Plan. This plan focuses on preparing for the impact of the connection stop. More efforts to better utilize existing grid space and accelerate temporary solutions.
Deputy Huib van Essen (Energy), Province of Utrecht: “The latest calculations from TenneT show that a connection stop in the Province of Utrecht is becoming increasingly likely. This can have major consequences for housing, sustainability, economy and mobility. Therefore, we are preparing for the worst-case scenario. We call on TenneT and the national government to take responsibility and do everything possible to prevent a connection stop. We have offered our cooperation. Together with the provinces of Flevoland and Gelderland, we are sending an urgent letter to the national government, urging quick clarity and concrete measures. This concerns accelerating grid expansions, such as at Utrecht-North, as well as measures that further reduce peak loads on the grid. I also want to speak as soon as possible with the new Minister of Climate and Green Growth to make firm agreements.”
Alderman Senna Maatoug (Energy and Climate), Municipality of Utrecht: “We will all feel the social consequences of grid congestion. If we do not act together now and organize energy demand smarter, we will get stuck. This will have immediate major social and economic consequences. In the Utrecht region, we risk hitting a wall this summer. That must be prevented. This requires coordination and a joint crisis approach by national and regional authorities. If we do nothing, no construction will take place. Companies that add value cannot expand. And schools, healthcare institutions and other social facilities will not get power connections. Especially in the fastest growing city in the Netherlands, tens of thousands of new homes and facilities are planned in the coming years. Grid congestion is no longer an abstract future problem. It affects our residents, entrepreneurs and housing now.”
Call to the national government: intensive cooperation decisive
The Province and municipalities call on the national government to fully participate in a joint crisis approach. The expansion of the high-voltage grid, acceleration of permit procedures and legal room for temporary solutions largely fall under national responsibility.
Specifically, they ask the national government for:
- Accelerated introduction of crisis legislation for grid congestion
- Reconsideration of interests between very high supply security (99.99%) and little to no connection certainty
- National funds for the extra costs of grid-conscious construction
- Opening and actively recalibrating existing transport contracts to release unused capacity
- Legal and financial room for temporary solutions that alleviate congestion
- Clarity about early application and controlled release of grid capacity
For press information:
lotte.mulders@provincie-utrecht.nl
06 39 25 06 62