ACM: Gradual introduction of a feed-in tariff to contribute to a more efficient utilization of the grid

The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) will continue working on the introduction of a feed-in tariff for large producers of electricity. By having large producers, such as solar parks, wind parks and power plants, pay towards the costs of the grid, they are stimulated to utilize the grid as efficiently as possible. As a result, system operators will need to implement fewer grid upgrades. These savings will ultimately have knock-on effects in the form of reduced grid costs for all households and businesses that are connected to the grid. At the moment, the costs of the grid are borne by grid users only.

Manon Leijten, Member of the Board of ACM, explains: "In the coming years, system operators must invest billions of euros in grid upgrades and expansions. A feed-in tariff will stimulate large producers to utilize the grid more efficiently, and, in that way, will help control these costs as much as possible. In that context, ACM opts for a gradual introduction, so that energy producers, system operators, and all other parties involved have enough time to prepare themselves for this new tariff structure."

Future-ready tariffs

The introduction of a feed-in tariff is necessary for making tariff structures future-ready. As a result of the energy transition, feeding electricity into the grid has an increasingly large impact on the costs of the grid, for example due to decentralized production from solar parks or offshore wind farms. It costs a lot of money to expand and upgrade the grid in order to meet demand. Financial incentives for large producers will contribute to a more efficient utilization of the grid.

Following other European countries

A feed-in tariff also fits in with European legislation that stipulates that grid tariffs must be set in an objective and non-discriminatory manner. Other European countries, such as Belgium, Denmark, and the UK, already use a feed-in tariff. The German energy regulator Bundesnetzagentur (BNetzA), just like ACM, is working on introducing one. Since Germany is the largest trading partner for the Dutch energy market, ACM wishes to tie the level of the feed-in tariff to that of the German tariff. ACM wishes to gradually introduce the feed-in tariff on January 1, 2032, at the earliest.

Introducing a feed-in tariff also fits in with the other adjustments to the tariff structure that ACM implemented over the past few years, for example, eliminating discounts for energy-intensive industries, and rewarding companies for efficient grid behavior (with time-related tariffs and alternative transmission rights).

Results of the consultation

In November 2025, ACM asked market participants to comment on the initial plans for a feed-in tariff. The responses reveal that market participants have concerns about the development of renewable energy in the Netherlands, about security of supply, and about an uneven playing field between different European countries. ACM takes the concerns of market participants seriously, and will give them an important role in its further study into a feed-in tariff.