In week 20 of 2025, large parts of Spain and Portugal were left without electricity. In some regions, the blackout lasted several hours; in others, nearly an entire day. Heating systems ceased functioning, water pressure dropped, and telephone services were disrupted. The cause? As of now, it remains unknown. This past winter, grid congestion, deferred maintenance, and extreme weather conditions had already resulted in widespread outages across the Iberian Peninsula. Grid operators are sounding the alarm: this is not an implausible doomsday scenario for the Netherlands.

“There is a realistic chance of a 72-hour blackout occurring in the Netherlands,”
stated Hans-Peter Oskam, Managing Director of Netbeheer Nederland.

Such a declaration might have raised eyebrows a few years ago. Today, however, it aligns with an increasingly visible trend. Dutch grid operators are now openly warning: it is not unthinkable that the lights—quite literally—will go out.

Are the blackout scenarios credible?

TenneT, the Dutch national grid operator, maintains a grid availability of 99.99%, placing it among the most reliable operators worldwide. At the same time, capacity limits are becoming evident: there is virtually no room left for new or upgraded connections. There is no definitive answer to the risks we face, but one fact is clear: it is prudent to begin preparing now for the possibility of a genuine and prolonged power outage.

Power outages in the Netherlands

The consequences of a power outage in the Netherlands are not purely hypothetical; we have witnessed them on multiple occasions. On 18 March this year, power went out in The Hague—not due to grid congestion, but the incident clearly illustrated the vulnerability of urban infrastructure without electricity. Elevators stopped functioning, trams were stranded mid-route, traffic lights failed, and electronic payment systems were rendered inoperative.

A similar incident occurred in Amsterdam in January 2017, with even more severe consequences: mobile networks were disabled, and the national emergency number (112) was unreachable. Even more distressing was the situation at Laurentius Hospital in Roermond in 2014, where the emergency generator failed to start automatically. For two hours, intensive care patients had to be ventilated manually, and eight patients were evacuated.

While these may be classified as isolated incidents, the warnings issued by grid operators indicate a structural risk. As grid capacity approaches its limits and new connections become increasingly difficult to realise, the likelihood of prolonged outages continues to grow.

What if It doesn’t remain an isolated incident?

Recent developments abroad show that this is not solely a Dutch concern. Spain and Portugal experienced a large-scale blackout earlier. In numerous regions, power was out for an extended period. According to the director of Spain’s national grid operator REE, the blackout was caused by a disconnection between the Spanish and French power grids. Across both Spain and Portugal, citizens were left without electricity, heating, water pressure, or telecommunications for an entire day.

A similar event occurred on the Iberian Peninsula this past winter, where a confluence of factors—grid overload, postponed infrastructure investments, and extreme weather—contributed to widespread outages. These are precisely the types of pressures increasingly observed within the Dutch context.

What are the implications for your business operations?

Power outages, by definition, have significant consequences for business continuity. The duration of an outage is particularly decisive in determining its impact. In some sectors, emergency generators are already standard or even legally required. Such requirements often specify the minimum operational duration of these generators. For instance, livestock facilities with automated ventilation systems must have sufficient fuel to operate for at least six hours. Hospitals must ensure that emergency generators can function continuously for several days.

As a business owner or facility manager, you should not be considering these matters only after the power has gone out. By then, it is already too late. During a blackout, it is often unclear what the cause is or how long it will last. Renting a generator may sound logical but serves little purpose if delivery occurs only after power has been restored. Waiting until a blackout occurs typically means you are too far back in the queue—if not entirely left behind. That is why it is essential to have a concrete plan now for the question: What will we do when the power goes out? And not for just one hour—but potentially for 72 hours.

How can you prepare for a power outage in the Netherlands?

Preparation starts with a comprehensive understanding of your organisation’s energy portfolio. Map out your electricity usage, identify which processes are critical, and determine where there is flexibility in your energy demand. An emergency generator is not always the most appropriate solution. Alternative strategies exist. If your organisation already operates solar panels, a battery system may offer part of the solution. Combined with solar energy, batteries can provide backup power—and beyond their function during outages, they may even serve as a viable business model in themselves.

This is a complex issue. At COMCAM, we assist organisations in mapping these dynamics through a flex scan. This assessment provides clarity on the following:

• the minimum electricity requirement needed to keep essential operations running;
• where flexibility exists in your energy consumption and generation;
• which measures are both logical and feasible in the event of an outage.

Important to Know: At present, government subsidies are still available for conducting a flex scan.

The risk of a prolonged power outage is no longer merely theoretical. Spain and Portugal have already experienced it. And while the Netherlands still boasts one of the most reliable electricity grids in the world, the pressure on that grid is unprecedented. The time to prepare is now.

Would you like to assess your organisation’s resilience and explore how to avoid downtime?
Get in touch with us today to schedule a flex scan.