New electricity connections face waiting list in 16 Gelderland municipalities

New requests for an electricity connection in 16 Gelderland municipalities will go on a waiting list from 1 January 2027, the province says. There is no new grid capacity available in the area for now.

The measure concerns new connection requests. It is not a power cut.

Which municipalities are affected

The Province of Gelderland says the waiting list covers Aalten, Bronkhorst, Doesburg, Doetinchem, Duiven, Lochem, Montferland, Oost-Gelre, Oude IJsselstreek, Westervoort, Winterswijk, Zevenaar and Zutphen, plus parts of Berkelland, Brummen and Voorst. They are in the Achterhoek, Liemers and Stedendriehoek regions.

Why this is happening

The province, citing a letter from the cabinet to parliament, says national grid operator TenneT cannot release extra capacity there for new requests. Grid capacity is limited and planned grid expansions are not finished yet. The province says housing, economic development and sustainability projects are affected.

What can still be connected

Applications already made in priority categories 2 and 3, such as housing and hospitals, can still be connected anywhere in Gelderland. In other parts of the province, capacity can be released, and it goes to those categories first.

What happens next

Provincial executive Ans Mol-van de Camp calls the situation “a bitter pill” for the region. She wants TenneT and regional operator Liander to free up grid space as quickly as possible.

The province expects grid operators to make better use of existing capacity, through flexible use, energy hubs, storage and new types of contract. It says it will support grid expansion, help municipalities with permits and spatial procedures, and take a stronger coordinating role where needed. Grid operators remain primarily responsible.

Progress is reviewed every 6 months. The next checkpoint is in April 2027.