Who would have thought this would happen?

Thousands of businesses and households are waiting to connect to the Dutch grid, forcing network operators to ration power in an early indicator of what other European countries are likely to suffer as the speed of electrification increases.

More than 11,900 businesses are waiting for electricity network connections, according to Netbeheer Nederland, the association of Dutch grid operators. On top of that are public buildings such as hospitals and fire stations as well as thousands of new houses.

Dutch officials and companies said lengthy waits for connections were holding up economic growth and could force businesses to rethink their investment plans. Despite efforts to invest in new cables and substations, new connections in some areas of the country will only become available in the mid-2030s, according to network operators.

A short time ago, Europe opted to embrace Net-Zero policies and the results have been an unmitigated disaster. In 2023, the Netherlands closed the Groningen gas field that the nation depended on for natural gas and, worst of all, this cancerous idea is spreading elsewhere in Europe.

Similar measures are underway elsewhere. In Ireland, ESB Networks is upgrading the medium-voltage grid, quadrupling its capacity. In Belgium, Elia is deploying dynamic line rating systems to adjust power flows in real time. In Lithuania, legislation since 2022 has enabled the creation of hybrid power plants combining solar, wind and storage.

Capacity maps are also being developed to visualise congestion points and guide investment decisions. The objective is to locate projects — charging stations, distributed production — in less saturated areas. These tools also strengthen transparency and coordination among stakeholders.

Flexibility from distributed energy resources such as home batteries or electric vehicles offers an additional lever. This requires price signals adapted to local conditions to encourage behaviour aligned with grid status. The development of local flexibility markets could play a central role in this dynamic.

Oddly enough, Europe started implementing Net-Zero policies around the time when Al Gore was disappointed by the 2023 UN climate conference in Dubai’s inability to secure an agreement for phasing out fossil fuels.

Not too long ago, the Iberian Peninsula also had a major blackout that was linked to Spain’s renewable energy sources too. Oddly enough, European nations want to be major hubs for artificial intelligence. However, European leaders are going to have to start becoming more intelligent about the energy goals they decide to undertake and who they decide to listen to.

PHOTO CREDIT: Pixabay