Changing laws and regulations

Alliander’s activities, and particularly those of Liander, are heavily regulated by laws and regulations. We continuously consult with relevant stakeholders to ensure that the legal framework is suitable for the energy transition. In 2025, there were developments in a number of laws and regulations that are important to Alliander.

Improvement plan

At the end of 2025, the ACM requested all network operators to draw up an improvement plan to accelerate implementation of the measures. Implementing the measures as quickly as possible is of great importance, but is also challenging and taking more time than anticipated. The energy transition is developing dynamically and this requires continuous adjustment. The networks operators concur with ACM’s view that acceleration is needed and are detailing what customers can expect in the improvement plan requested by ACM.

Integrated Energy Act

Alliander endorses the objective of the Energy Act, which is to create an integrated and future-proof legislative framework for the energy system. Further implementation of the Energy Act is taking place through the Energy Decree (Order in Council) and Ministerial Regulations. The revised structure for the European electricity market is being implemented in the Energy Act. The network operators submit code change proposals to the ACM in order to implement the Energy Act in all gas and electricity codes. The Energy Act came into effect on 1 January 2026. Some provisions of the Energy Act will come into force at a later date.

A new Heating Act

The Collective Heating Supply Act was passed by the Dutch House of Representatives on 3 July 2025 and approved by a large majority in the Dutch Senate on 9 December 2025. This Act identifies the framework conditions for the development of district heating networks and the establishment of public heating companies. Among other things, the Act stipulates that heating companies must be at least 50% publicly owned, gives municipalities far-reaching powers to organise heat supply and introduces new tariff regulation. Alliander wishes to play an active role in the construction of public district heating networks and is ready to support municipalities and provincial authorities in this regard. The Act is expected to partially come into force in 2026.

Flexibility and tariffs

Within the scope of the National Grid Congestion Action Programme, Liander is working with customers, market parties and the ACM on measures to use the available grid capacity as efficiently as possible. In recent years, numerous regulations have been introduced for new (flexible) customer products, such as congestion management and alternative transmission rights. A number of additional measures are still under preparation, including new tariff structures for households and business consumers, and the application of flexibility to low-voltage grids, such as grid-friendly charging for electric vehicles.

The measures will be implemented within Liander and offered as products that can help our customers. Liander's implementation capacity has been sharply scaled up recently, but due to the complexity of the task and limited development and change capacity, choices have to be made and periodically reassessed based on progress, impact and customer value.

Social prioritisation

In June 2025, the ACM published the draft decision on the new prioritisation framework. The new framework regulates priority on the waiting list for applications submitted by socially important organisations in areas where the grid is congested. Together with the other network operators, Alliander responded in the form of a position statement: we asked for consideration to be given to the practical feasibility of the new framework and the impact on customers who require a small connection, such as residential housing projects and households. The new framework comes into effect on 1 January 2026 and will also be applied to applications submitted by small consumers from 1 July 2026. 
ACM's new social prioritisation framework has been in force for large consumers since 1 January 2026. The framework has been broadened, allowing more applications in congested areas to be given priority. For (groups of) small consumers, nothing will change for the time being: the network operators will continue to accommodate their applications within the existing reserved capacity; this will be phased in during 2026.

Changes to connection time rules

Since 2025, network operators have been required to set up or modify a small consumer connection within a ‘reasonable’ period of time. The previous code decision stipulated that a network operator had 18 weeks to do this if excavation work would be required, a maximum of 12 weeks without excavation work and a maximum of 52 weeks in the case of a shortage of transmission capacity. The Dutch Trade and Industry Appeals Tribunal (CBb) ruled that the ACM should not have set the lead times in this way. During 2025, the ACM, network operators and other stakeholders worked closely together to establish practically feasible connection times for small consumers.

For large consumers, the new connection deadlines came into effect on 1 January 2025. The connection lead time for large consumers is determined by the complexity of the connection and an analysis carried out by the network operator to identify the work required for that specific area. The connection lead time is 26 weeks, 52 weeks or a period determined by the network operator if the lead time cannot reasonably be shorter.

Decarbonisation package

In 2025, the draft Implementation Act for the revised Gas Directive and Regulation was submitted for consultation. Together, these components make up the European Decarbonisation Package. This legislative package contains operational guidelines relating to the European internal market for natural gas, renewable and low-carbon gases and hydrogen. The package also introduces market regulation for hydrogen transmission. Transposition into Dutch regulations is currently taking place. The collective network companies have indicated that they wish to set up a central organisation to develop hydrogen distribution. They have also petitioned for sufficient legal scope to allow them to manage hydrogen gas distribution systems as efficiently as possible.

European Grid Package

Nitrogen emissions legislation must not act as a limiting factor for infrastructure construction, such as laying new underground cables, according to the European Commission's European Grid Package proposal presented at the end of 2025. The package is a set of measures that speeds up the permit issue process and removes implementation barriers standing in the way of expanding the energy system. Other measures are also included in the package, such as confirmation that connection applications can be prioritised. The proposal still has to be discussed in the European Parliament and the Council (Member States). This step will help us accelerate the execution of our work.