October 10, 2025 2 min. News
Storage indispensable part of future energy system: review of Energy Election Debate 2025
On October 9, the big Energy Election Debate took place at grid operator Stedin in Utrecht, organized by Reliable Sources in cooperation with the main industry associations in the energy sector, including Energy Storage NL. Led by Jaap Jansen and PG Kroeger, four Lower House candidates debated the major challenges in the energy transition.
Participating on behalf of their parties were:
- Suzanne Kröger (GroenLinks-PvdA)
- Peter de Groot (VVD)
- Ilana Rooderkerk (D66)
- Jantine Zwinkels (CDA)
Watch the livestream of the debate here
From energy independence to permitting
The politicians discussed topics such as energy independence, accelerating permitting, energy affordability, and the role of nuclear power, heat grids, carbon pricing and hydrogen.
All parties recognized that energy storage is an indispensable part of the energy system of the future, although this recognition and priority in policy may be even more strongly expressed.
Storage as a silent force
Between the various topics, it became clear that energy storage plays a connecting role in almost every debate point:
- At energy independence storage makes it possible to store renewable energy locally and use it when needed.
- The licensing of batteries, among other things, must be faster so that this technology can help alleviate grid congestion and accelerate other projects.
- For affordability storage ensures that renewable power is better utilized and peak prices are dampened.
- In discussing controllable energy and new neighborhoods was stressed several times that neighborhood batteries and neighborhood storage are essential for a reliable and sustainable energy supply.
- Heat networks were also discussed. Remarkably, heat storage not mentioned here, whereas the very addition of thermal storage to a heat grid can make energy supply significantly more sustainable and affordable.
A broad responsibility
What binds the parties is the realization that the next few years are crucial. The Netherlands must invest in an energy system that is affordable, reliable and sustainable, and battery storage is emphatically part of that.
The need for clear targets was also stressed during the debate. Energy Storage NL calls for a national storage target and hopes that the new House of Representatives will take this up in concrete terms.
The need for clear targets was also stressed during the debate. Energy Storage NL calls for a national storage target and hopes that the new House of Representatives will take this up in concrete terms.
Working together
The debate showed broad support for a future in which energy storage has a permanent place in policy and implementation. The question is no longer or storage is needed, but how we organize it as effectively as possible.
Energy Storage NL therefore remains committed to the recognition of batteries, thermal storage and molecule storage as indispensable components of the energy transition, essential for the affordability, reliability and independence of the Dutch energy system.
Organization
Element NL | Energie Beheer Nederland | Energie-Nederland | Energy Storage NL | NL Hydrogen | Nederlandse Vereniging Duurzame Energie (NVDE) | Netbeheer Nederland
