Domestic energy, solving grid congestion, affordable energy, the battle for scarce space, and resilience are important social and political issues. Through established consultation structures, we discuss these issues with all levels of government: municipalities, provinces, the national government, and European authorities. The most appropriate discussion partner in The Hague is the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth. However, we also consult with other relevant ministries, such as Infrastructure and Water Management, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, and the Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning. In all these discussions, we actively contribute our knowledge and expertise on the energy system and explain the implications of the proposed policy and legislative developments for Enexis.
We are also members of organisations such as Netbeheer Nederland (NBNL) and the Dutch Association for Sustainable Energy (NVDE), and we form coalitions with stakeholders on important current topics. The Maatschappelijke Alliantie is another such coalition, through which we have lobbied the Cabinet and the House of Representatives, alongside a diverse group of stakeholders, for continued energy and climate policies. The Energy Act, the Municipal Instruments Heat Transition Act (Wgiw), and the Collective Heat Supply Act (Wcw) were all approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate in 2025. In addition, Enexis is working to preserve the National Highly Skilled Migrant Scheme (Kennismigrantenregeling), introduce a skilled workers scheme for technical personnel, and secure a stronger starting position for the space required for energy infrastructure.(G1-5 par. 27 en 29c) We also contribute our knowledge and expertise through numerous thematic working groups with other (industry) organisations.
We cooperate mainly with other grid operators at the European level through the Alliander-Enexis-Stedin (AES) structure. By working together, we strengthen our message to policymakers. This is important to us because a significant part of Dutch (energy) legislation is based on European laws and regulations. With the publication of the Clean Industrial Deal, the EU Grids package, and the Clean Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act, energy and the energy infrastructure are also high on the agenda in Brussels. Within the AES Europe team, Enexis pays particular attention to sustainable molecules and data interoperability (data exchange between systems). To this end, we are active in various European interest groups such as the EU DSO Entity, E.DSO, GD4S, and Eurogas.(G1-5 para. 27 en 28)
The above activities aim to remove potential barriers in the political-administrative framework so we can achieve our societal goals with the right resources and speed, and make the right decisions for long-term investments. The better we align policies and regulations with grid operator practices, the more effectively we can achieve these goals.(G1-5 para. 27 en 28) Enexis made no direct or indirect political contributions (financial or in-kind) in 2025 (2024: same).(G1-5 par. 27 en 29b)
Our core message to policymakers
Our mission is to achieve a climate-neutral, reliable, and more independent energy supply by 2050. To accelerate the energy transition and scale up sustainable molecules (hydrogen, heat, biomethane), we need the support of policymakers. Together with industry peers and Netbeheer Nederland, we have outlined several specific requests.
Requests to accelerate implementation:
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Faster allocation of space for energy infrastructure and its safeguarding in the National Spatial Strategy (Nota Ruimte), streamlined permitting procedures, and breaking the nitrogen deadlock.
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New contract forms and awareness campaigns for flexible energy use.
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Encouraging technical education, establishing an international skilled worker scheme, and retaining the National Highly Skilled Migrant Scheme for the energy transition.
Requests to scale up sustainable molecules:
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Biomethane: accelerating and increasing mandatory blending, ensuring investment security, and accelerating (nitrogen) permit approval.
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Collective heat solutions: creating a level playing field for district heating networks and heat pumps, balancing affordability and investment potential, and speeding up the parliamentary process for relevant legislation.
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Hydrogen: assigning regional grid operators a role in developing water distribution networks, identifying promising areas for the use of hydrogen in consultation with grid operators, mitigating financial risks for the roll-out of hydrogen distribution networks, and promoting hydrogen production in the Netherlands.(G1-5 para. 29c)
Oversight by the Public Affairs Committee
Our Public Affairs Committee is responsible for overseeing the exercise of political influence, including lobbying. Members include the CEO, the CTO, the Strategy Director, the Corporate and Legal Affairs Director, the Corporate Affairs Manager, the Regulatory Director, the Energy Transition and Environment Director, the Communications and Public Affairs Director, and the Public Affairs Advisors. The Public Affairs Committee meets every six weeks to discuss relevant issues.(G1-5 par. 27 en 29a)
None of the Executive Board members has held a similar position in a government department (including regulators) two years before the start of the 2025 reporting period (2024: same). Els de Groot, a member of the supervisory board, is a guest expert on the advisory council of AMVI (Maatwerkafspraken Verduurzaming Industrie), which advises the Minister of Economic Affairs on tailor-made agreements with 20 major industrial polluters in the Netherlands.(G1-5 par. 27 en 30)
Enexis Groep has been registered in the EU Transparency Register under the identification number 436152649102-96 since early 2023.(G1-5 par. 27 en 29d)