Help! The energy transition is drowning

The common thread my columns Boerenbusiness is that the energy transition threatens to get bogged down in all kinds of practical problems. There was another remarkable example of this recently.

The overcrowded power grid around Utrecht means that drastic measures have to be taken in this city, which is a GroenLinks stronghold. Such as temporarily or perhaps completely switching off the charging stations. According to RTV Utrecht, the municipality is considering switching off charging stations during peak hours. In any case, it has already been decided to reduce the charging capacity in the afternoon and early evening. It may therefore take longer for the Teslas and other electric cars of Utrecht residents to be charged.

It could be even crazier
An even more radical idea is to switch off the poles completely between 16 p.m. and 21 p.m., as grid operator Stedin proposed. According to RTV Utrecht, the responsible councilor, Lot van Hooijdonk (GroenLinks), sees something in this. If electricity is still needed here and there, it can possibly be supplied at a considerably higher rate. But it can be even crazier. The local factions of the PvdA and Christian Union propose that it should perhaps be made more difficult for electric cars to drive through Utrecht. That really turned the world upside down. Due to environmental zones, older fuel cars in particular are already being banned from the city. Then you can expect that electric cars will not be hindered at all.

And all because politicians come up with very ambitious plans to combat global warming, but conveniently ignore their practical feasibility. In any case, they did not take adequate measures in time to deal with the foreseeable problems.

Elephant who is inconvenienced
Grid congestion could have been largely prevented if the capacity of the power grid had been expanded many years ago. But that requires vision, which according to Mark Rutte is an elephant that obstructs the view, and money. The first is lacking among many politicians and the second was not made available to the grid operators, leaving them with insufficient leeway. Although they should have sounded the alarm much louder earlier to wake up the politicians to what was inevitably going to happen in the future and is now happening.

Network congestion is not a purely Dutch problem. Although it was earlier in our country than in neighboring countries, due to the pioneering role that the Netherlands, led by Rob Jetten, is keen to play. Many industrial companies have difficulty getting a new or heavier connection and have to wait in line for many years. But moving to one of our neighboring countries is no longer an alternative, because the same problems are now visible there.

Lack of qualified personnel
Grid congestion is not easily solved. It will take years before sufficient expansions are realized. Not only money plays a role in this, but also often long licensing processes and a lack of qualified technical personnel. Something that affects our entire economy, including the food and agri sector. All kinds of measures are required of you, which are often expensive, but then the government does not deliver with regard to their share. If you want to become more sustainable by, for example, installing solar panels, this is not possible due to a lack of space on the power grid. Help! The energy transition is drowning.

Kasper Walter

Kasper Walet is a former board member of the agricultural futures market. He has now been working under the name Maycroft for years as an independent adviser on energy and climate to governments and companies from all over the world.

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