The Dutch electricity grid is on the verge of saturation in all provinces, says Energy Minister Rob Jetten, urging businesses to consume less at peak hours.
According to the Minister, the Dutch government has to “do everything in its power” to avoid power cuts at the busiest times, since problems occur on the grid when too much energy is produced or consumed at the same time.
Mr. Jetten has called on grid operators to enter into agreements with companies to use or produce less electricity at peak hours, based on a fee. The 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. time slot seems to be the most critical period, since that is when businesses and households consume a great deal of electricity.
For some time now, the Netherlands has been grappling with saturation on its electricity grid. In several areas, maximum transmission capacity has already been reached.
Provinces are having to set up electricity interconnections, which is preventing businesses from obtaining new connections, and waiting times are getting longer, with requests pouring in from all over.
