Business owners demand action to address the power grid crisis
Network congestion is putting significant pressure on business growth, investment, and sustainability efforts.
Published on May 19, 2026
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Business organizations and the municipality of Eindhoven are calling on the government to urgently address problems with the power grid. According to them, the situation has become so urgent that grid congestion must be treated as a national crisis.
In a joint letter to State Secretary Jo-Annes de Bat (Climate and Green Growth), organizations including VNO-NCW Brabant Zeeland and VNO-NCW Midden warn that companies are increasingly being hindered in their development. Expansions are being postponed, new investments are being canceled, and sustainability initiatives are also being delayed due to a lack of available grid capacity.
Limits reached in various regions
The organizations point to regions where limits have already been reached, such as Utrecht, where no new connections will be possible starting this summer. Not only businesses, but also new homes will be placed on a waiting list there.
According to the letter’s authors, damage is particularly likely to occur in top economic regions such as Brainport Eindhoven. There, work is being done on technology and machinery that are crucial to the global chip industry.
Insufficient attention
The business leaders believe that the severity of the situation is not being sufficiently recognized in The Hague. They therefore advocate for an approach commensurate with the scale of the problem, including a smarter distribution of electricity consumption through different rates for households and businesses.