ACM: giving priority to projects that contribute to major social objectives remains possible with the new prioritization framework

After 1 January 2026, system operators will still be able to give projects that contribute to major social objectives priority in getting access to the congested grid. The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has set a new prioritization framework for this. The prioritization framework stipulates how system operators allocate the scarce capacity on the grid. Initiatives that create more grid capacity are connected first. Priority is subsequently given to sectors and activities that contribute to major social objectives (such as residential construction, hospitals, schools, and national defense) so that these can go on as much as possible.

Manon Leijten, Member of the Board of ACM, adds: “In many areas, the waiting lists for access to the grid are getting longer and longer. It’s therefore important that the scarce transmission capacity is optimally allocated on the basis of objective criteria. With this framework, projects that contribute to social objectives can go on as much as possible. System operators, but also local governments, businesses, and other organizations can continue working with this.”

Background of the new prioritization framework

ACM has set a new prioritization framework, following a ruling of the Dutch Trade and Industry Appeals Tribunal (CBb). According to the CBb, ACM is authorized to set a prioritization framework, but ACM had to assess and justify better which parties would get priority. ACM has done so in this new framework.

Three categories with priority

On the basis of objective criteria, ACM has determined what social objectives are prioritized. ACM assessed whether the absence of extra transmission capacity would result in serious risks to national security, the continuity of key public services, or to the functioning of Dutch society as a whole. In addition, the activity must serve a major public interest in the Netherlands, and no realistic alternative can be available within the European Union. The new prioritization framework retains the three categories that ACM had introduced in the previous prioritization framework:

• Congestion softeners – projects that immediately create more capacity on the grid. As a result, more market participants are able to use the grid.
• Security – projects that are essential to national security such as hospitals, emergency services, national defense, and the police.
• Basic needs – projects that provide basic social needs such as residential construction and education.

In comparison with the current prioritization framework, ACM has expanded the category ‘security’ with the social objectives of highly sensitive technologies, emergency alert systems (such as C2000, which is the national system that Dutch emergency services use), secure communication channels, customs, transportation safety, hospitals, blood supply, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Europol, and sewage/wastewater. The category ‘basic needs’ is supplemented with the social objectives of public transport, shared housing (for example, for health care or shelters), telecommunication, and gas storages for the security of supply of natural gas.

ACM has received 106 responses to the draft decision of the new framework. ACM has compared these responses with the assessment criteria, and has used the responses to come to a better framework. When adding social objectives, ACM adopted a critical attitude, because too broad a framework would not be effective. ACM does take into account that changing social circumstances can lead to adjustments to the framework. Recent discussions about European and national sovereignty and resilience are an example thereof. In order to take into account changing social circumstances, ACM will evaluate the framework regularly.

Residential construction

Due to the large shortage of homes, all the different types of housing are prioritized: from large-scale residential projects and shared housing (asylum seeker centers, health care, shelters, migrant workers) to individual upgrades of grid connections for homes. ACM has also made it possible for municipalities to request priority for residential construction early in the planning phase of housing projects.

At the moment, system operators reserve transmission capacity for future small-scale grid users. This means that, despite the grid congestion, additional grid capacity can still be available for small-scale users’ activities, such as residential construction. On the other hand, large-scale users such as hospitals, national-defense activities, schools, and public transport are on the waiting list. This system operators’ method of reserving capacity for future small-scale grid users is not part of ACM’s prioritization framework. The distinction between large-scale and small-scale users is unrelated to the social value of a market participant. This method does not do any justice to the prioritization framework, and therefore needs to change. Until 1 July 2026, the present method will remain in place, and residential housing projects, too, can still be connected using the existing method, as long as there is sufficient capacity. This offers small-scale users the opportunity to prepare themselves for the new prioritization framework. At the same time as the implementation of the new prioritization framework, system operators, the Dutch Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth (KGG), the Dutch Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning (VRO), ACM, the Association of Provincial Authorities (IPO), and the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) are working together on a new method for requesting transmission capacity in an early stage applicable to both small-scale and large-scale users. The Ministry of KGG sent a letter about this on 6 October and 24 November 2025 to the Dutch House of Representatives.