Alliander helped thousands of customers in 2025, but waiting list for a grid connection continues to grow

11 March 2026

Over the past year, Alliander helped tens of thousands of businesses and consumers get a new or higher-capacity connection to the electricity grid. Just under 2,000 large companies were helped off the waiting list and onto the power grid, while over 43,000 households and smaller companies were also connected to the grid. This emerges from the 2025 annual report, which the network company released today and once again presents record figures.

Investments in energy networks rose to €2.1 billion in 2025, up 19% on the previous year. Nevertheless, the power grid remains under extreme strain. Demand for new and higher-capacity connections continued to grow, causing waiting times to keep rising and the waiting list to keep getting longer. Against this backdrop, Alliander is not only stepping up network expansion and upgrades, but also the roll-out of flexible contracts. With its regional approach, Alliander is managing to offer businesses on the waiting list prospects of a grid connection in more and more areas.

‘The energy system is changing, and Alliander is changing with it to make that new system possible,’ says Alliander CEO Maarten Otto. ‘In 2025, we saw that our approach works, as we’re helping more and more of our customers advance. That’s what we work for every day. Through customisation and flexibility, we’re able to help businesses in various areas sooner than initially expected. In Drachten and its surrounding area, for example, our regional approach saw us bring down the waiting list for a grid connection by nearly 70%. Together with businesses, we reviewed all 140 pending connection requests. During these talks, it transpired that several of these businesses did not actually need additional capacity, because their existing connection still offered plenty of possibilities. Other businesses were connected under a flexible contract. We are now scaling up our regional approach. Over the coming years, the space available on the power grid will continue to vary greatly by area and time of day, meaning that we won’t be able to get everyone connected right away. Faster expansion of the energy network, increasing the load where possible and making smarter use of energy will therefore continue to be necessary over the coming years.’

Grid expansion in full swing

In 2025, Alliander and its contractors got more work done than in 2024, building and converting over 2,200 transformer substations and laying over 2,600 kilometres of new medium-voltage and low-voltage cables, as well as installing and replacing more than 300 kilometres of gas pipes. Over 43,000 households and small businesses were connected to the power grid and grid capacity was increased by a total of 3,241 MW. This equals the total power consumption of one million households.

‘Over the past year, we got more work done than in the previous years,’ says Otto. ‘But we also have to be realistic: we are not yet able to connect everyone when they want. The power grid is under great strain in many areas. Waiting times continue to rise and the waiting list for a grid connection is still getting longer, creating uncertainty for businesses and increasingly also for households. We are and feel responsible for this. We cannot do everything everywhere at the same time. This is precisely why it is essential for us to be transparent and clear on what we can do, which varies by area, time and connection type.’

Smarter collective use of energy

A key part of the solution lies in both businesses and consumers making smarter and more flexible use of energy. Spreading energy consumption more evenly over the day, avoiding peak times and taking a smarter approach to balancing supply and demand will enable better utilisation of the available grid capacity. Over the past year, 540 businesses showed an interest in a flexible contract. Out of this total, 216 have now signed such a contract. This partly concerns businesses with an existing connection to the grid, who adjust their electricity usage during busy periods, and partly new customers who could still be connected with a flexible contract. This way, they can use the electricity grid under certain conditions. Consumers can also do their bit in easing the pressure on the power grid. To help them with that, Alliander works closely together with energy providers to offer features such as smart and flexible EV charging.

Building faster

The transition to a sustainable energy system is the single largest overhaul the Netherlands has ever seen. To rise to this challenge, we are going to have to build faster and smarter. This calls for a forward-looking mindset, an integrated approach to energy and the available space, and clear choices in deciding what kind of infrastructure is needed and where.

‘We’re investing heavily and working smarter than ever, but the reality we face is relentless and we cannot get this done on our own,’ says Otto. ‘If the Netherlands wants to go sustainable and maintain economic growth, we’re going to need faster permitting procedures and clear choices on nitrogen and the labour market, as well as policy that fosters flexible use of energy. This will require close collaboration between public authorities, network operators, the construction industry and market parties, as well as procedures aligned with the urgency of this challenge. In addition, we are working with consumers, businesses and their energy providers to explore ways to make smarter use of energy and, where possible, use energy at different times. Only if we work together and change our behaviour will we be able to shape an effective and future-proof energy transition.’

Financial results

In 2025, investments were up significantly once again, coming in at €2.1 billion (+19% on 2024), with most of these funds going to power, gas and district heating network expansion and maintenance. Alliander posted a net profit of €289 million (2024: €976 million). Excluding exceptional items, such as the sale of the Randmeren high-voltage network in 2025 and Kenter in 2024, net profit for 2025 came to €219 million (2024: €197 million). Operating income, excluding exceptional items, came in at €3.3 billion in 2025 (2024: €3.1 billion). The negative cash flow, without including incidental income, amounted to €1.3 billion in 2025 (2024: €1 billion negative), which was financed through (hybrid) bond loans issued in 2025.

Alliander’s CFO Walter Bien explains: ‘We posted a solid profit last year, partly thanks to keen cost containment and controlled organisational growth. This enables us to keep investing in the energy transition and offer our customers affordability and continuity.’

For more details, see Alliander’s 2025 annual report.