the era of power supply everywhere is over

All those who are connected to the electricity grid automatically have the right to electricity. “Security of supply makes us a little lazy,” says Wouter Veldhuis on behalf of the Board of Government Advisors. “The shift to sustainable energy generators such as solar panels, batteries and joint wind turbines must be made faster.”

According to the advisory group, it is no longer possible to guarantee that electricity will come from every outlet in the future. “This may be an unwelcome message, but we are running out of our system to the limit,” says Veldhuis. “The risk of something breaking somewhere is increasing.”

large consumers

Veldhuis stresses that eliminating security of supply would primarily affect large companies. “Families and municipalities are only small consumers”. He sees government intervention in the energy sector as “a powerful tool for achieving climate goals”. “This way we get big consumers where we want them.”

If there is a shortage of energy, some agencies of the Government Advisors must have priority in the supply of electricity. They cite pumping stations, drinking water systems, healthcare and data services.

The group of government advisers compares the situation with access to water during the drought. In this case, a “series of shifts” is used, which the think tank considers useful even in the event of an energy shortage. In this case, a ranking determines who has the most right to access to electricity.

“Broken card”

“With their grotesque statements, the government consultants are completely wrong,” replies Hans Grunsveld of the Association for Energy, Environment and Water (VEMW). Unlike water, he says it is not up to the government to determine a hierarchy. ‘Energy is market oriented. The government cannot and must not decide that one company will be connected to the electricity grid and another not ”.

Grunsveld expected government advisers to consider “the real questions”. “What incentives, for example, ensure that network operators expand their network to ensure a connection for all?”

Pay the main premium

Olaf van der Gaag of the Dutch Renewable Energy Association (NVDE) is delighted that government advisers are throwing the bat in the chicken coop. “It is clear that drastic choices need to be made, which also means that we are looking at security of supply in a new way.”

The power grid needs to be more flexible, says Van der Gaag. “During peak hours you should pay the first prize, but this summer the sun and wind also generated 4 hours a day more electricity than we used.”

Russian gas tap

In addition to abolishing security of supply, the Board of Government Advisors is making a number of other recommendations to prepare the Netherlands for the future in terms of energy. For example, European cooperation is more important than ever, they write.

Without naming the Russian gas tap, the group refers to the desire of many countries to be “less dependent” on imports of “energy and critical materials from other parts of the world”.

At the same time, it is important to use the generated energy as locally as possible, says the advisory group. This prevents unnecessary transportation of electricity. Thirty regions could become self-sufficient to some extent.

Norwegian watersheds

It is precisely those regions that need a “solid” Western European energy grid. It is, for example, a joint research of the most suitable places for the construction of hydroelectric plants. “Low-cost electricity from the Netherlands is used to fill Norway’s reservoirs,” the college points out. “If there is a shortage here, those Norwegian basins will supply us with electricity again.”

“The report is about things that everyone already knows,” says VEMW’s Grunsveld. “There is no discussion on international cooperation, everyone already wants it.”

The transition from a fossil economy to a sustainable economy will change the Dutch landscape, according to the Board of Government Advisors. This requires listening to the feelings of the residents. “New windmills, solar fields and power lines may seem like a violation of the living environment.”

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