Energy Storage NL: Energy Storage Could Save Billions on Power Grid Expansion
For the first time, the government has explicitly recognized that energy storage is an indispensable part of the Dutch energy system. In the report presented today, Energy Storage Policy Agenda The government emphasizes that energy storage helps reduce grid congestion, strengthen security of supply, and lower the costs of the energy transition. The letter to Parliament states that optimal use of energy storage could reduce the investment needed for the electricity grid by up to 4 billion. Energy Storage NL calls the agenda a major breakthrough and emphasizes that rapid implementation is now crucial.
“This policy agenda marks a turning point. The government is no longer merely stating that storage is useful, but explicitly calls storage an indispensable part of the energy system and notes that we can also save up to 4 billion on the investment needed for the power grid. That is exactly the recognition the sector has been advocating for for years,” says Arendo Schreurs, director of Energy Storage NL.
The policy agenda was developed in close collaboration with grid operators, Energy Storage NL, local and regional governments, and the ACM.
Growth in storage capacity
The Netherlands is working toward an energy system that is resilient, sustainable, and competitive. The National Energy System Plan (NPE) outlines how the energy system should evolve in the coming years and toward 2040 and 2050. The updated version of the NPE states that the Netherlands will need 28 GW of storage capacity by 2040. That is more than 50 times the capacity available at the end of 2025. The Energy Storage Policy Agenda is intended to ensure that this growth is achieved.
From Thinking to Doing
The policy agenda includes measures designed to accelerate investment in storage. These measures include, among other things, steps to alleviate grid congestion, permitting, site selection, improving the business case, and fostering innovation.
According to Energy Storage NL, it is essential to continue focusing on the implementation of the announced measures. We have identified what needs to be done; now we need to get it done.
Energy Storage NL calls on the national government, grid operators, regulators, and local and regional governments to work together to develop the policy agenda into a workable approach. Only with clear decisions, stable framework conditions, and the sustained involvement of market participants can this policy agenda lead to sufficient storage capacity.
