ACM and system operators make binding arrangements on offering flexible contracts, the use of congestion management, and increased insight into grid utilization
Summary
- ACM has made binding arrangements with system operators on improving grid utilization.
- System operators lack a proper overview of the utilization of their grids, and the flexible contracts that ACM made possible are not sufficiently offered still.
- ACM monitors the progress of the system operators’ improvement plans, and will publish a quarterly dashboard, which shows whether measures have been implemented as agreed.
Dutch system operators TenneT, Stedin, Liander, Enexis, Rendo, Coteq, and Westland Infra must take extra measures this year to ensure that the grid can be utilized better. The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has made binding arrangements with the system operators about this. The system operators have committed to substantially increasing the use of congestion management this year, and that more companies are able to use flexible contracts. In addition, they will ensure that they have a increased insight into the utilization of their grids as soon as possible. ACM monitors the progress, and publishes a quarterly dashboard, which shows for each system operator whether measures have been implemented as agreed.
The arrangements with ACM are the result of the individual improvement plans submitted by the system operators in February 2026 as instructed by ACM. ACM imposed an improvement order on the system operators, because ACM had seen that the system operators were making insufficient progress in the implementation of congestion management and alternative transmission rights. ACM considers it important that system operators see to it that it is clear for grid users (current and future) in what ways they are still able to gain access to the grid.
Manon Leijten, Member of the Board of ACM, explains: “The congested grid has become a dire problem for more and more households and businesses. We are seeing that not all system operators yet have sufficient insight into the utilization of their grids, and that the flexible contracts that ACM made possible are not sufficiently offered still. With these arrangements, system operators commit to a clear timeframe, where the first results must already be visible in the coming quarter. ACM will publish a dashboard each quarter to monitor the system operators’ progress.”
Measures against grid congestion
In recent years, ACM has adopted a broad set of measures to tackle the problems on the congested grid. These include alternative transmission rights and congestion management. With alternative transmission rights, users do not receive fixed transmission rights, but rather flexible contracts, with which they are allowed to purchase or feed in less electricity (or no electricity) at certain times. In exchange, they receive a discount on their grid costs, and they can be connected faster. With congestion management, system operators ask connected market participants to use temporarily more electricity or less electricity in exchange for a compensation in order to solve physical grid congestion (actual or expected). In that context, it is important that system operators have insight into the utilization of their grids. With the improvement plans, system operators have worked out how to achieve the necessary insight into grid utilization as well as the implementation of measures against grid congestion in the shortest possible time.
When concluding the management-level arrangements, ACM took into account the major challenges that system operators face due to the energy transition and the necessary expansion of the grid. At the same time, ACM emphasizes that the existing grids must be utilized better. System operators are statutorily required to comply with the Dutch Energy Act and the underlying regulations, such as the code measures regarding congestion management and alternative transmission rights.