Netherlands faces potential electricity shortage as early as 2028, TenneT warns

The Dutch transmission system operator TenneT has warned that the country could experience a shortfall of available electricity by 2028, two years earlier than previously forecast for 2030. The risk stems from a rapid rise in electricity demand as households adopt electric vehicles, heat‑pumps and other electric appliances, while generation increasingly relies on variable wind and solar output and gas‑fired plants operate less frequently.

TenneT’s operational director Maarten Abbenhuis said, “Het risico op een elektriciteitstekort neemt aanzienlijk toe.” The operator urges the government to accelerate a capacity‑market scheme that would pay standby gas or coal plants – and large batteries – to be ready when wind and solar are insufficient. Minister Stientje van Veldhoven (Economic Affairs and Climate) is expected to detail the plan soon. TenneT also notes that similar capacity‑market mechanisms already exist in Belgium and the United Kingdom, and are being developed in Germany and Denmark, underscoring the importance of cross‑border cooperation for Dutch supply security.