How to deal with grid congestion

  • Amber Kuipers
  • Background
  • 10 October 2025
  • Edited 12 February 2026
  • 1 min
  • Managing and growing

Would you like to expand with an additional branch, a larger cold store, or solar panels? You may not be able to get a new or more powerful electricity connection. Nor is it always possible to feed electricity back into the grid from your solar panels, because of grid congestion. At peak times, the power grid does not have enough capacity to meet all requests for consumption and feed-in.This is becoming a problem for more entrepreneurs in the Netherlands.

In December 2025, 14,000 businesses were on the waiting list for a new or more powerful connection to the electricity grid. In addition, 8,600 parties are in the queue to feed electricity back into the grid. The Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth, network operators, and businesses are currently working on 8 measures to reduce the waiting list for electricity connections (in Dutch). These will make it easier for businesses to shift their electricity consumption to quieter times. This will enable a significant number of the businesses on the waiting list to obtain a connection. The development of the waiting list may vary from region to region.

Am I at risk?

Not every company is immediately affected by grid congestion. But if you want to invest, grow, or become more sustainable, it is wise to check the status of the power grid in your region.

  • The RVO wegwijzer Netcongestie (grid congestion guide, in Dutch) will help you find out if you need to take action.
  • Use the capaciteitskaart (capacity map, in Dutch) to determine whether there is still room for feed-in or a new connection to your local power grid. 

Nationaal Expertisecentrum Netcongestie

The Nationaal Expertisecentrum Netcongestie (National Expertise Center for Grid Congestion, in Dutch) supports companies that are reaching the limits of the grid. The expertise center brings together knowledge from across the Netherlands, collaborates with grid operators, governments, and companies, and shows what already works.

What can you do?

Even if the grid is (temporarily) full, there are often solutions available. Consider:

  • using electricity more intelligently: spread your consumption throughout the day or shift it to off-peak hours.
  • saving energy through more efficient processes, appliances, or lighting.
  • using batteries to temporarily store generated electricity.
  • Other types of contracts with your grid operator, such as a connection request for flexible capacity. This is a contract in which your electricity consumption is adjusted to the needs of the electricity grid.

RVO has an overview of renewable enery options, and the province of Gelderland also offers concrete tips (in Dutch).

Work together

Are you concerned about a new or heavier connection? Collaborating with other entrepreneurs can offer a solution. Consider collective solutions such as a shared battery or the smart distribution of capacity via an energy hub.

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