This is part 3 of some extended thoughts on the Dutch grid and where it’s headed. Read part 1 of this discussion here and part 2 here. The Dutch Grid in 2050 — Conclusions The Dutch grid transition is going from a grid managed by a few local energy monopolies … [continued]
This is part 2 of some extended thoughts on the Dutch energy grid and where it’s headed. Read part 1 of this discussion first here. The Dutch Grid in 2050 And now, after a 1500-word introduction, my view on the least improbable Dutch electricity landscape in 2050. To paraphrase Manuel … [continued]
This is something I never do. I am writing about a topic I know next to nothing about. But the world of 2050 is 25 years in the future and the next 25 years are expected to be very transformative. It is impossible to know anything with something approaching certainty … [continued]
You may know me as the Grumpy Old Man down in the comments. What is less known: I am also extremely lazy. For all the visitors to the opening ceremony of Fastned’s first charging station complete with convenience store, children’s playground, and outside sitting area, they made large panels with … [continued]
Since 2018, Dutch charging company Fastned has operated fast charging stations capable of 350 kW, which is still the gold standard versus home charging. Photo by Fastned.
A lesson for the whole world: building a strong EV charging infrastructure accelerated the Netherlands’ electric vehicle adoption The Netherlands is literally charging its way through electric vehicle adoption in Europe. While Norway captures headlines with its 89% EV market share, the Dutch have focused on a different form of … [continued]
Fastned was founded to enable “Electric Freedom,” the capability to travel by electric car everywhere the driver likes to go, something that was not possible in the first electric car age. That is roughly the period from 1880 to 1930. The grid, the batteries, and the charging possibilities of those … [continued]
ChatGPT generated a panoramic vision of Rotterdam’s container port, where ships are loaded with battery containers, methanol tanks stand ready, and electric cranes power the future of shipping.
At the end of my engagement with TenneT, the Netherlands’ transmission system operator, who I assisted with 2050 scenario planning for their target grid, I had the opportunity to sit down with a couple of members of the workshops to discuss our findings. What follows is a lightly edited transcript … [continued]
Onshore 7.5 MW wind turbines and solar at 5 meters below sea level with offshore turbines visible to left, photo by author
At the end of my engagement with TenneT, the Netherlands’ transmission system operator, who I assisted with 2050 scenario planning for their target grid, I had the opportunity to sit down with a couple of members of the workshops to discuss our findings. What follows is a lightly edited transcript … [continued]
ChatGPT generated this panoramic image of a public EV charging hub in a European city square, illustrating the normalization of electric infrastructure in daily life
In the previous article, I explored a combined framework to predict technological tipping points: the diffusion of innovations, logistic growth (s-curve), and complex adaptive systems models. Together, these theories illustrate how technology adoption starts gradually among a small group of users and then accelerates sharply after reaching specific adoption levels. … [continued]
ChatGPT generated this panoramic image of a modern biomethane production facility, illustrating the infrastructure needed to scale up electrified biomethane DRI steelmaking
This week, I had the opportunity to participate in TenneT’s scenario planning for its ambitious 2050 Target Grid project. The session was notable for including Professor Heleen de Coninck, one of the Netherlands’ experts on industrial decarbonization and climate change. Her involvement emphasized the critical importance of identifying scalable pathways … [continued]
