Grid operators ask to take back unused power capacity
Netbeheer Nederland, the grid operators' association, has asked the competition and consumer watchdog ACM to let TenneT apply the "use it or lose it" rule (GOTORK) to firms that have reserved grid capacity but have no connection.
Netbeheer Nederland has submitted a proposal to the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) to widen the conditions under which grid operators can take back unused transport capacity. These conditions are known as GOTORK, short for "Gebruik Op Tijd Of Raak het Kwijt" (use it in time or lose it).
Under the proposal, TenneT, operator of the national high-voltage grid, could apply GOTORK to parties that have contracted transport capacity (GTV) but do not yet have a connection. It would need a reasonable suspicion that the contracted capacity will go unused. The change would apply only to connections to the transmission system.
If TenneT has that suspicion, it would consult the party concerned. The party would then have to show that the capacity will still be used, even though there is no prospect of a connection yet.
Narrower exemption for vital services
Connected users on the vital-processes list of the national counterterrorism coordinator (NCTV) can currently be exempted from GOTORK. They must show that limiting their contracted capacity could endanger the vital process.
The proposal would define the exempt parties more sharply. It would follow the "Veiligheid" (safety) category in the Systeemcode, the grid rulebook. That category covers parties providing a vital or essential service, which can also get priority when capacity is allocated.
For gas infrastructure, the proposal is to use the "Basisbehoeften" (basic needs) category, because of the societal importance of security of gas supply.
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ACM (Autoriteit Consument & Markt)
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets, the independent regulator that enforces competition law and consumer protection rules. It also regulates sectors such as energy, telecoms, transport and postal services.
GOTORK (Gebruik Op Tijd Of Raak het Kwijt)
A Dutch rule set under which an electricity grid operator can take back transport capacity that a connected party has reserved but is not using. The name means "use it in time or lose it". It matters because grid capacity is scarce in the Netherlands, so unused reserved capacity can be reassigned to others waiting for a grid connection.