The energy transition does not start at the socket, but in our heads

The energy transition is often seen as a technical issue. More cables, heavier transformers, smarter software. And that is partly true, because that technology is indispensable. But those who only look at that are missing the point. The energy transition is also a change in how we think about energy. And how we deal with it in our daily lives.

This is becoming increasingly visible, simply at the kitchen table, in the workplace and in the driveway. We cook electric, charge one of the nearly 700,000 electric cars, put solar panels on the roof and invest in making homes and businesses more sustainable. The Netherlands is a leader in sun-on-roof. Over 35 percent of our homes have solar panels, adding up to about 30 gigawatt peak. So the willingness is definitely there. People want to move forward. Entrepreneurs are investing. But with the growing pains of the rapid transition, frustration is growing at the same time. And I get that, and that concerns me.

For many end users, it is hard to understand. The sun is shining, the solar panels are producing, the battery is ready and the charging station is hanging on the wall. Yet they are told: connection is not possible, expansion is not allowed, feed-in is restricted. Increasingly, good plans run aground on the limited capacity of the electricity grid. At times we want more than the grid can handle.

That wrings the tears. It shows that the energy transition is not just about more energy, but mainly about using energy differently. It matters when you use energy. It matters where you have energy-intensive industry in relation to the generation of energy. This is where flexibility comes in. Not as a technical trick, but as a fundamentally different way of thinking. Flexibility means that we use energy when it's available, store it when we can, and deploy it locally where we need to. After all, all the energy you don't have to move around doesn't put extra pressure on the grid. I once heard someone say ‘you are not in the traffic jam, you are the traffic jam’. And that applies here too. Flexible behavior means that we smooth out peaks instead of fighting them with increasingly heavy infrastructure. In other words, no symptom-fighting, but back to the core.

We have become accustomed to energy being available anytime, anywhere, without a second thought. The energy transition requires us to let go of that naturalness. Energy will become something dynamic: sometimes abundant, sometimes scarce. And our behavior must move with it. This is not a step backwards, but a step forwards. Because flexibility also provides more grip. More insight into consumption and more control over costs. For households, that means smarter charging or using appliances at times when there is a lot of sustainable energy. For companies it means that production processes are better geared to the energy system. A baker who uses his ovens differently, a logistics company that spreads loading moments, a farmer who stores energy or delivers it back at the right time. That requires something new. Not just technology, but behavior. The energy transition has long since ceased to be a technical issue. It has become a social issue.

But flexibility does not come naturally. It requires cooperation. Network operators must provide space and make it clear where flexibility is needed. Governments must provide predictable policies and faster procedures. Market parties develop the solutions. And end users must be confident that participating pays off - both financially and practically. The energy transition will therefore not succeed simply by laying more cables in the ground. It will succeed if we use the system more intelligently. If we accept that energy is not just something that comes out of any wall socket as a matter of course, but something we actively engage in. So the real transition is not only in the grid, but in ourselves. In how we plan, produce, consume and move. Only when that transition happens can technology do its job. Flexibility is the key therein.

Hans-Peter Oskam
Member of the Advisory Board of Energy Storage NL.
Managing director of Netbeheer Nederland

This column was published in Solar & Storage Magazine May 2026