Energy scenarios provide direction for the energy system—market knowledge makes them feasible

The national government, provinces, municipalities, water boards, and grid operators are developing energy roadmaps for the energy system of the future in four provinces. In doing so, they are creating coherence between energy infrastructure, land use, generation, storage, and consumption. Energy Storage NL welcomes this approach and advocates for involving the storage sector as soon as potential measures and options are being developed. It is precisely at that moment that market knowledge is needed to arrive at feasible energy agreements.

What are energy images?

In late 2025, governments and grid operators reached agreements within the Intergovernmental Cooperation Agenda (ISA) regarding their collaboration on the energy system. The ISA is the joint agenda of the national government, provinces, municipalities, water districts, and grid operators. Now, the focus is shifting from agreements to implementation. Integral planning is central to this process: jointly determining what energy infrastructure, generation, storage, and development of energy demand are needed at which locations and at what times.

Energy scenarios form the basis for these considerations. They map out the current and future demand for and supply of various energy carriers by region. Energy carriers are the forms in which energy is produced, transported, stored, and used, such as electricity, heat, gas, and hydrogen. This reveals the demands that housing, work, and mobility place on the energy system and the necessary developments in generation, storage, infrastructure, and consumption to meet those demands.

The process then consists of three steps. First, the parties involved draw up the energy profile as a joint analysis of energy demand, energy supply, and infrastructure. Next, they develop potential measures and strategic directions for the area. Finally, policymakers set forth in energy agreements which projects and conditions are necessary and who is responsible for them.

Four provinces are gaining experience

Gelderland, Limburg, Overijssel, and Utrecht are the first to test this approach. Provinces, municipalities, and grid operators are developing energy outlooks at the provincial and regional levels. Using the Energy Transition Model (ETM), they are simulating future scenarios for the energy system, allowing them to explore the effects of factors such as housing construction, mobility, industry, heating, renewable generation, and batteries. This helps them identify where developments reinforce one another, where bottlenecks arise, and what possible courses of action exist.

The first energy profiles for the pilot areas are expected around September or October 2026. The lessons learned from the pilots will be used to further develop interagency cooperation and to implement this new approach throughout the Netherlands starting in 2027. The provincial energy profiles will also provide input for the review of the National Energy System Program in 2029.

Similar images, area-specific choices

To link provincial and regional outcomes to the national energy system, the parties involved use the same principles as much as possible. This ensures that the energy scenarios are comparable and additive, while the detailed plans take into account the specific spatial developments and energy challenges of each region. Based on this combination of national coherence and regional practice, energy agreements are established regarding, for example, grid expansion, energy storage, and infrastructure for heat or hydrogen.

Energy Storage NL: Involve the storage sector in the decision-making process

Energy Storage NL views energy scenarios as an important step toward coherent and region-specific decisions. Energy storage is an essential building block in this regard: it better balances supply and demand across time and location, helps reduce grid congestion, and contributes to a reliable, affordable, and independent energy system.

That system value can only be realized if the strategic directions also align with the realities of the storage market. Therefore, as soon as potential measures are developed, it must be assessed which storage solutions are technically compatible, financially feasible, and achievable within realistic timeframes. Connection requirements, permitting procedures, land-use frameworks, and implementation risks must also be taken into account in this assessment. Otherwise, there is a risk that energy commitments will be made for projects that cannot be realized later on.

Energy Storage NL therefore advocates that the national government, provinces, municipalities, and grid operators systematically involve the storage sector in the development and assessment of measures. This will allow policy assumptions to be tested against technical feasibility, business cases, and practical experience. Drawing on the broadest network for energy storage, ESNL can bring this knowledge together. In this way, energy scenarios will lead to well-founded energy agreements and to investable and feasible storage projects that the Netherlands needs.