In 2025, we continued to work closely with the national government, provinces, municipalities, market parties, and industry organisations on shaping the energy system of the future.
KIES
Within the Netbeheer Nederland association, we jointly developed the KIES report, Choices for an Integrated Energy System. This report outlines 12 key decisions that grid operators believe must be made now to enable the transition to an affordable, clean, and reliable energy system, while supporting economic growth and a resilient society. The report is structured around four themes: Energy security, Affordable heating in homes, Making industry more sustainable, and Access to energy.
National Action Programme on Grid Congestion
In addition, the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, the ACM, grid operators, and market parties are working together under the leadership of the Ministry on the National Grid Congestion Action Programme (Landelijk Actieprogramma Netcongestie, LAN). This programme focuses on identifying solutions to capacity shortages in the medium-voltage and high-voltage grid.
The LAN is working on three fronts:
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Making better use of transmission capacity by using the grid more flexibly.
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Giving customers greater insight into where and when additional transmission capacity will become available.
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Accelerating construction, shortening lead times, and strengthening cooperation between grid operators, municipalities, provinces, and the state.
While these measures will help to ease the pressure on the energy grid, they are not yet sufficient to stop the growing waiting lists.
Energy boards
Each province within our service area has an energy board, with which we work closely. Within these boards, we discuss how we can jointly accelerate grid expansion and operate it more efficiently. We also work together to develop a clear picture of long-term energy demand and supply. These insights are captured in provincial energy visions. In addition, provinces draw up the pMIEK (Provincial Multi-year Programme for Infrastructure, Energy, and Climate), which outlines the priorities and plans for investments in regional energy infrastructure.
VNG agreement on the location of transformer stations
Last year, the regional grid operators and the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) reached a settlement in legal disputes concerning the siting of new transformer stations. As part of this agreement, the VNG developed a control clause. This clause sets out the conditions under which a transformer station may be relocated in the ‘public interest’. In such cases, if a municipality determines that because of a nearby transformer station there's a conflict, the municipality and the grid operator will jointly explore an alternative location, with clear agreements on the allocation of costs.
Making the most of public space
The energy transition and the associated grid expansion significantly affect public spaces. This requires good spatial integration and coordination with municipalities and provinces. This is the only way to ensure the required physical space is available on time. The energy infrastructure must be integrated into spatial planning and vice versa. To support this, Enexis has mapped out the spatial impact of the expected grid expansions. This raises awareness among municipalities and provinces and enables us to enter into targeted agreements to acquire land in suitable locations.
Working with municipalities on the neighbourhood approach
To drive the energy transition forward, we are accelerating the upgrade of low-voltage and medium-voltage grids. Over the next few years, we will work intensively in residential areas, installing thousands of new transformers, upgrading existing ones, and laying thousands of kilometres of cable. This work will be carried out neighbourhood by neighbourhood, requiring a fundamental shift in how we operate as grid operators, with new processes and revised roles and responsibilities.
The success of this neighbourhood approach largely depends on working closely with local authorities. By 2025, we will have concluded a cooperation agreement with 45 municipalities, and by 1 January 2026, this number will increase to 99. This reflects our shared recognition of the urgency of accelerating the expansion of low-voltage and medium-voltage grids, working together and recognising each other’s interests. This often means municipalities must adapt their working methods or establish new internal structures to align with our processes. The specific arrangements for accelerating implementation are outlined in a separate supplementary agreement.
Proposal to make neighbourhoods more sustainable
Municipalities need to speed up the implementation of neighbourhood plans. These plans outline the preferred heating solution in each neighbourhood to replace natural gas. Without a neighbourhood approach, the transition to a gas-free heating system in the built environment cannot be achieved.
We support municipalities by providing insight into the necessary changes to the energy network. By January 2025, all regional grid operators submitted a proposal for each neighbourhood in their catchment area. These proposals are based on their own expectations, including where it makes sense to switch to electricity for heating and the anticipated growth in electricity demand and charging stations. Where do the district heating networks make sense, and where should gas networks remain the preferred option – for biomethane, for example? Municipalities can use these neighbourhood proposals to make informed decisions about future heat supply.
NL Flex
NL Flex is a partnership between grid operators and energy companies aimed at accelerating the deployment of flexibility solutions to reduce grid congestion. One example is testing grid-aware control for home batteries and heat pumps. A pilot project is underway in a residential area in Dalen, Drenthe, where 100 hybrid heat pumps can be remotely controlled collectively.
Congestion-neutral connection of batteries
Large-scale battery storage enhances the energy system's flexibility by storing energy when generation is high and releasing it when demand rises. At the same time, it is essential that batteries do not cause or worsen grid congestion, as charging or discharging during peak periods can place additional strain on the grid.
To prevent this, we connect large batteries under a Connection and Transmission Agreement and a Capacity Restriction Contract. These arrangements ensure controlled and predictable battery usage, preventing additional grid peaks. Restrictions are therefore imposed on charging and feeding electricity back into the grid during specific time windows, for example between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. This helps prevent additional pressure on the grid while making effective use of flexible storage capacity.