Dutch Province Launches Smart Energy Hubs to Solve Business Grid Capacity Crisis

2026-02-14 green

Amsterdam, Saturday, 14 February 2026.
Noord-Holland has activated 21 Smart Energy Hubs to address critical energy grid constraints threatening business expansion in the Netherlands’ largest provincial economy. These collaborative systems enable companies to share electricity connections and optimize consumption patterns, creating additional grid capacity without new infrastructure investments. ROM InWest is providing financial support and guidance as businesses form energy cooperatives through pilot programs extending until late 2026, offering a scalable solution for balancing economic growth with sustainability goals.

ROM InWest Spearheads Provincial Energy Initiative

ROM InWest, the regional development agency for Noord-Holland, has emerged as the driving force behind the Smart Energy Hubs initiative, working directly under provincial mandate to address the energy grid capacity crisis [1]. Paul Hauptmeijer, the project coordinator for Smart Energy Hubs at ROM InWest, confirmed that as of February 13, 2026, there are 21 Smart Energy Hubs actively guided by provincial directors [1]. These hubs represent a strategic response to Noord-Holland’s status as the province with the largest economy, which creates substantial energy demands from both entrepreneurs and the energy network itself [1]. The initiative reflects a coordinated approach between regional government and private sector, with ROM InWest tasked by the province to investigate financial support mechanisms for entrepreneurs establishing these collaborative energy systems [1].

Complex Implementation Requires Tailored Support

The development of Smart Energy Hubs involves intricate technical and regulatory processes that demand specialized guidance and customized solutions for each location. According to Hauptmeijer, “It is a complex trajectory that requires customization and good guidance” [1]. Most of the 21 active hubs are currently in exploratory or planning phases, with participants forming cooperatives and establishing Group Transport Agreements (GTOs) with grid operators [1]. The GTO framework remains in development and is being offered in pilot form until the end of 2026, indicating the experimental nature of this approach to energy grid management [1]. This complexity has prompted ROM InWest to develop comprehensive support structures, including the upcoming launch of a subsidy scan for 2026 that will provide energy cooperatives with a financial foundation [1].

Financial Innovation Supports Energy Transition

ROM InWest has positioned itself as both a facilitator and potential investor in the Smart Energy Hub ecosystem, recognizing that traditional financing models may not adequately serve these innovative energy cooperatives. The organization plans to support energy cooperatives financially at an early stage, including through subsidies, and can step in as an investor when investments in assets or shares become necessary [1]. Hauptmeijer emphasized the commitment to funding, stating, “The financing of this initiative will come to the table regardless” [1]. This financial backing extends to practical implementation, as demonstrated at Baanstee Noord in Purmerend, where ROM InWest is testing and adjusting financing conditions in real-world scenarios, though construction delays for a new electricity station have prevented the pilot-GTO from starting as planned [1].

Grid Optimization Creates Business Growth Opportunities

The Smart Energy Hubs concept operates on the principle that large-scale energy consumers can create grid capacity for other businesses by reducing their peak demand, fundamentally altering how energy infrastructure supports economic development. Hauptmeijer explained that “when large consumers reduce their peak demand, space is created on the grid for other companies” [1]. This approach strengthens Noord-Holland’s business climate for start-ups, scale-ups, and innovative small and medium enterprises by providing them with access to energy capacity that would otherwise be unavailable [1]. The hubs require large-scale consumption connections and can effectively redistribute existing grid capacity more efficiently, avoiding the need for costly new infrastructure investments [1]. Beyond electricity management, these systems offer opportunities for heat sharing through thermal networks, which could reduce CO₂ emissions and potentially decrease pressure on the electricity network, given that 70 to 80 percent of energy consumption involves heat [1].

The success of Noord-Holland’s Smart Energy Hub initiative has prompted the development of comprehensive training programs designed to replicate this model across the Netherlands. ROM-Nederland and Oost NL announced on February 8, 2026, that they would conduct four three-day “Energiehub-ontwikkeling” (Energy Hub Development) training sessions in 2026 as part of the broader Smart Energy Hubs program [9]. These training sessions, offered at both starter and expert levels, aim to broadly share knowledge and experience from the initial phase of energy hub development to build capacity within the energy hub ecosystem and accelerate the energy transition throughout the Netherlands [9]. The expert-level training is scheduled for March 10, March 24, and April 7, 2026, while starter-level sessions are set for April 2, April 16, and May 7, 2026 [9]. With space for 48 participants in 2026 and a fee of €995 excluding VAT, the program demonstrates the commitment to scaling this innovative approach beyond Noord-Holland’s borders [9].

Bronnen

smart grid energy capacity