Stedin, a Dutch grid operator predominantly operating in the highly urbanized region of Randstad, has issued a plea to operators of electric car charging stations to suspend their operations from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. The company asserts that this move is crucial to ease the strain on the heavily burdened power grid during these high-demand hours.
This appeal is particularly pertinent to urban regions. During the hours of 4:00 PM and 9:00 PM, a surge in electricity demand is observed as people return from their workplaces and switch on various devices. Stedin CEO Koen Bogers says, “Despite our best efforts to expand the power grid, including a planned investment of at least 8 billion euros by 2030, it still wouldn’t suffice. The grid is overloaded, especially during the evening peak hours and on sunny days during spring and summer.”
The company suggests that there is no necessity for everyone to charge their cars during dinner time. Charging can be done at other periods of the day, such as when there is an abundance of solar power or during the night when the demand on the grid is significantly lower.
There have been previous instances in the Netherlands of thousands of companies being waitlisted for connection to the electricity grid.
