Noord-Holland may have lengthy power cuts in 2026 due to overload of the power grid

There is a possibility of lengthy power cuts in 2026 in parts of Noord-Holland if no extra measures are taken against the overload of the power grid, grid operators TenneT and Liander warn. They also predict in a new forecast that in many places in the province, there will be waiting lists for large electricity consumers, such as data centers, supermarkets, and swimming pools, for at least the next ten years.

“The message is clear. We need to take extra measures,” said Robert Kuik, director of grid planning at TenneT. He claims that they are working with other companies and governments on a package of measures that can be taken to combat this.

The overcrowded power grid is causing problems in all provinces. TenneT previously announced that it would approach large electricity consumers in the Netherlands to oblige them to avoid peak hours.

They will be asked to return or consume less electricity to the grid during busy times. But this is not always enough. More stringent measures are already being taken in Utrecht. The province will also approach medium-sized electricity consumers there.

It is not yet clear what is needed in Noord-Holland to fix this issue. Just 66 of the 606 Noord-Holland organizations with a connection to an electricity power grid larger than one megawatt have indicated that they see possibilities to lower their usage during busy moments. The grid operators are still in discussions with those parties about what exactly they can do.

The starting point is for small consumers, such as households, to experience as little inconvenience as possible. However, the grid operators are not ruling out the possibility that newly constructed homes in certain parts of the province will have to wait before being able to connect to the power grid.

Kuik also pointed out that homes can help with the problem by using as little electricity as possible outside of busy moments. For example, it would help if people used their washing machine during the day and not in the morning or around dinnertime.

The grid operators are also going to invest billions of euros in the coming years on expanding the grid in Noord-Holland. A new high-voltage connection will be built north of the North Sea Canal and new high-voltage stations will be built around Amsterdam.

The commissioning of these new projects is expected to gradually create additional space on the local high-voltage grid from 2031 onwards. However, it will probably take at least until 2036 before this grid has been expanded everywhere in the province.