Jammed power grid, energy transition will cost Netherlands €195 billion: report
Solving all the problems on the Netherlands' jammed power grid will cost an investment of 195 billion euros over the next 15 years, according to the results of an interdepartmental policy study into the electricity infrastructure, which are in the Telegraaf’s possession. The massive bill to get the Dutch energy infrastructure back in order is not even the worst-case scenario, but the middle of the financial bandwidth the officials outlined, sources close to the government told the newspaper.
Grid congestion is becoming an increasingly serious problem in the Netherlands. In various places, the grid is too full to allow new connections for businesses or residential areas. Minister Sophie Hermans of Climate and Energy presented plans to tackle the problem last year, but this report, which will officially be published on March 7, shows that much more is needed. The power grid needs to be significantly expanded with extra transformer houses and heavier cables.
Hermans’ Ministry declined to comment to the Telegraaf on the leaked report. But Hermans previously told parliament that the “gigating transition and renovation of our energy infrastructure” must continue. Otherwise, we will have to build on “fossil fuels, such as gas and oil, which we now get from countries that we do not want to be dependent at all,” the VVD Minister said.
Along with the report containing the massive bill, Hermans will submit options to help fund it to parliament next week. According to the newspaper’s insiders, these include asking the European Union for more support and dusting off earlier plans to sell parts of grid operator TenneT to Germany.
