Netherlands’ renewables drive putting pressure on its power grid

In a Dutch government TV campaign called “Flip the Switch” an actress warns viewers about their electricity usage.

“When we all use electricity at the same time, our power grid gets overloaded,” she says. “This can cause malfunctions. So, use as little electricity as possible between four and nine.”

It is the sign that, in one of the most-advanced economies in the world, something has gone wrong with the country’s power supply.

The Netherlands has been an enthusiastic adopter of electric cars. It has the highest number of charging points per capita in Europe.

As for electricity production, the Netherlands has replaced gas from its large North Sea reserves with wind and solar.

So much so that it leads the way in Europe for the number of solar panels per person. In fact, more than one third of Dutch homes have solar panels fitted.

The country is also aiming for offshore wind farms to be its biggest source of energy by 2030.