Register your housing or educational facility project in a timely manner to secure grid capacity
Due to grid congestion, there is not always sufficient capacity on the power grid in Wassenaar for new or higher-capacity electricity connections. Under the national “Apply Early” procedure, the municipality may, on a one-time basis in October 2026, apply to the grid operator for transmission capacity in advance—specifically, up to 10 years in advance—for residential construction and certain educational facility projects.
Do you have a residential or educational facility project in Wassenaar that meets the “ Requirements ” criteria? If so, please submit your project between Thursday, August 27, and no later than Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
What is "Apply Early"?
Housing and education fall under Category 3, “Basic Needs,” of the national prioritization framework established by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM). As a result, for projects that meet the “ Requirements ” criteria, grid capacity and priority can be requested from the grid operator. With “Early Application,” the municipality can do this earlier in the development process than was previously the case. This is a one-time action in October 2026.
ACM: Code Decision on Prioritization Capacity for Transmission Requests 2025
Electricity System Code 2026
For which projects?
In Wassenaar, the following are involved:
- housing projects that meet the “ Requirements ” for residential needs as defined in the 2026 Electricity System Code;
- Educational facilities projects for elementary and secondary schools that involve new construction or renovation, comply with municipal policy guidelines, and are included in the 2024–2039 Review of the Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan (IHP).
The full “ Requirements ” are set forth in the Policy Rules for Applications for Priority Transport Capacity for Housing and Educational Facilities Projects in the Municipality of Wassenaar 2026 (hereinafter: “Policy Rules”).
How does it work?
Submit each project no later than 11:59 p.m. on September 2, 2026, using the application form.
You will receive a confirmation of receipt within two business days of your submission. Health Please ensure that the designated contact person is available during the review period. The municipality may require additional information to evaluate the project.
The municipality then evaluates the projects based on the policy guidelines. A separate ranking list is drawn up for each congestion zone.
How does the municipality determine the order?
If more projects are eligible for the “Apply Early” program, the municipality will determine the order in which these projects are submitted, in accordance with the policy guidelines.
The municipality evaluates projects step by step based on:
- construction start date – projects that start earlier are ranked higher;
- project readiness – how far along the project is in terms of planning and legal matters;
- social significance – the contribution to the objectives and priorities set forth in the 2026–2030 Cooperation Agreement “Building Wassenaar Together”;
- expected completion date – an earlier completion date results in a higher ranking within the remaining list.
If projects are still tied after that, the order will be determined by a drawing.
The complete procedure for evaluating and ranking is set forth in the policy guidelines.
Preliminary and Final Order of Appearance
After the evaluation, the municipality will publish a preliminary ranking list. This list will be published on the Wassenaar municipality’s website on September 17, 2026.
If you disagree with the evaluation or ranking of your project, you may submit a response within 10 days via netcapaciteit@wassenaar.nl, no later than September 27, 2026. Instructions on how to do so are included in the publication of the preliminary ranking list.
After reviewing the responses, the municipality will finalize the priority list, and the applications will be submitted to the grid operator in accordance with the national procedure.
Please note: This is not a guarantee of transport capacity!
A spot on the municipal priority list does not guarantee transmission capacity. The grid operator evaluates the request for capacity and priority and ultimately determines whether and when transmission capacity will become available.
A project in Wassenaar, or one spanning multiple municipalities?
If your project is located in Wassenaar, you can submit it to the municipality of Wassenaar. If your project is located in multiple municipalities, it should be submitted to a single municipality. If you have already submitted the same project to another municipality, you do not need to submit it again to Wassenaar.
How much does "Apply Early" cost?
There is no cost associated with submitting an application to the municipality. However, the grid operator may charge fees for applying for and establishing the necessary connection and transmission capacity.
Questions?
Please contact us at netcapaciteit@wassenaar.nl or call 14 070.
Learn more
Cooperation Agreement 2026–2030: 'Building Wassenaar Together'
ACM: Code Decision on Allocation of Capacity for Transport Requests, 2025