Power grid to have one waiting list for all connections
From 2026, grid operators will allocate scarce capacity according to societal priorities.
Dutch grid operators will no longer automatically reserve capacity for small-scale users in congested areas. From 1 July, there will be one joint waiting list, while remaining capacity will be allocated later this year according to a prioritisation framework.
The change is the result of growing demand for electricity from homes, businesses and transport. In parts of the Netherlands, grid operators cannot immediately provide new or higher-capacity connections. This is creating queues for both large companies and social institutions.
Until 1 July 2026, grid operators in congested areas kept capacity aside for small-scale users, such as homes and small businesses. The reservation was intended to provide room for housebuilding and other small-scale connections, but according to Netbeheer Nederland, the approach is no longer sustainable now that the shortage affects all grid levels.
The released capacity will become part of an integrated waiting list for small- and large-scale users. Grid operators expect to be able to release capacity in the autumn to parties that qualify for priority under the rules. A further allocation of remaining capacity is expected at the beginning of 2027.
The Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) has established three main categories. Projects that help reduce congestion will receive priority first. They will be followed by functions important for safety and basic needs, such as hospitals, the police, education, housebuilding and public transport.
Priority status does not mean that a connection will become available immediately. Applicants must demonstrate that their project falls within the framework, and the available space varies by region. Waiting lists may therefore remain in areas where little capacity is released.
The new allocation makes the shortage more visible and exposes a political choice: which projects should go first when grid expansion is not progressing quickly enough? At the same time, expansion remains necessary. Prioritisation allocates existing space, but does not create new cables, transformers or grid capacity.
For businesses and local authorities, the main change concerns planning. New or higher-capacity connections must be requested earlier and may depend on regional analyses, flexible contracts and future grid reinforcement. Grid operators refer people to their electricity-grid checkers and capacity maps for up-to-date information.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- In congested areas, demand for transport capacity exceeds the available space.
- From 1 July 2026, capacity will no longer be routinely reserved for small-scale users.
- The ACM works with categories for congestion reduction, safety and basic needs.
- Prioritisation allocates scarce capacity but does not create additional capacity.
Left
Arguments Scarce space should go primarily to public basic needs and the energy transition. Housebuilding, education, public transport and sustainability should not be displaced by projects that mainly generate returns.
Values Equal access, public services, climate policy and protection for groups that do not themselves have market or negotiating power.
Consequences A social hierarchy may delay commercial projects, but prevents public objectives from stalling and can limit the costs of delays for citizens.
Centre
Arguments An independent regulator should apply objective criteria, allowing for regional considerations and transparent procedures. Prioritisation is necessary while the grid remains scarce, but must be accompanied by investment and better planning.
Values Legal certainty, practicability, continuity of public services and equal treatment within clear rules.
Consequences The approach may reduce arbitrariness, but remains complex and offers no guarantee that projects will be connected quickly.
Right
Arguments The government should be cautious about picking winners and should focus primarily on ensuring that grid operators build faster. Market participants that invest and apply on time should not be structurally disadvantaged by ever-new exceptions.
Values Property, freedom of enterprise, predictability and the government's responsibility for infrastructure.
Consequences Greater emphasis on expansion and fewer priority categories could stimulate investment, but public services may have to wait longer in the meantime.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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The policy change and prioritisation rules can be found directly in information from the ACM and Netbeheer Nederland. The text clearly distinguishes between allocating existing capacity and expanding the grid.
- confirmed From 1 July 2026, grid operators in congested areas will no longer automatically reserve capacity for small-scale users. — Netbeheer Nederland describes the end of this reservation from 1 July 2026. source
- confirmed There will be one joint waiting list for small- and large-scale users. — The new approach and the integrated waiting list are described by Netbeheer Nederland. source
- confirmed Projects that reduce congestion, safety functions and basic needs will receive priority. — The ACM names these three categories in the established prioritisation framework. source
- confirmed Prioritisation does not guarantee an immediate connection. — Netbeheer Nederland states that societal priority is no guarantee of immediate capacity. source
Editor's note
The change to the reservation system, the joint waiting list and the priority categories have been confirmed. The actual waiting time remains uncertain for each region and application.Sources
- Zo werkt het: vrijgave van netcapaciteit — Netbeheer Nederland
- ACM: Voorrang maatschappelijke projecten blijft mogelijk met nieuw prioriteringskader — Autoriteit Consument & Markt
- Prioriteren en reserveren op het stroomnet — Netbeheer Nederland
More on this in Dutch media
- NOS — „netcongestie stroomnet”
- Het Parool — „netcongestie stroomnet”
- de Volkskrant — „netcongestie stroomnet”