Energy Storage NL calls on political parties: commit to energy storage in new coalition agreement

Now that the election results are known and formation talks will start, Energy Storage NL makes an urgent appeal to the forming parties: anchor energy storage as an indispensable pillar in the energy system and include concrete measures in the coalition agreement to accelerate energy storage.   

“The election results offer a new opportunity to shape the energy transition not only faster, but also smarter,” says Maarten van den Heuvel, chairman of Energy Storage NL. “Without energy storage we cannot harness the growth of solar and wind, grids remain overloaded and energy prices remain unnecessarily high. Storage is the key to a stable, affordable and independent energy system.”

From renewable generation to a stable energy system

The Netherlands now produces more than half of its electricity from solar and wind. At the same time, the number of hours in which renewable power remains unused is increasing. On the other hand, we see that businesses and residential areas in some areas can no longer be connected due to lack of grid capacity. This shows that flexibility and specifically energy storage - as a connector between energy demand and supply, is now necessary. Government direction and control is needed for the simultaneous development of the required generation and demand, the grid and flexibility and storage.

Energy Storage NL therefore emphasizes that a system approach to energy storage is necessary to accelerate the required storage capacity in the Netherlands. The recently published Market Research by Energy Storage NL shows that the expected storage capacity is lagging behind the capacity grid operators predict for 2030. This can have serious consequences for grid congestion and security of supply, among other things.

Energy Storage System Approach in the coalition agreement.

Energy Storage NL is asking the forming parties to lay down a System Approach to Energy Storage in the coalition agreement that will allow the Netherlands to take the lead on energy storage by investing in:

1. A clear position of energy storage in the energy system, including a national storage ambition and a ‘Flex & Storage’ sector agreement.
2. A fair market and solid business case through reform of the pricing system and rewarding flexibility.
3. Faster spatial integration with national frameworks and proactive site planning.
4. Supporting decentralized storage, so that households, neighborhoods and cooperatives can also contribute to a flexible energy system.
5. Accelerating innovation and scaling up, with investments in long-term storage technologies such as flow batteries, thermal and hydrogen storage.

“The formation is the moment to make choices that will make the Netherlands independent of foreign energy, give companies room to grow again and provide households with an affordable energy bill. A system approach to Energy Storage is necessary to give concrete substance to this, said Maarten van den Heuvel.

Read here Energy Storage NL's entire election effort.