What is the ACM priority framework?
In parts of the Dutch grid where transport capacity is congested, new and heavier connection requests do not simply queue in the order they arrive. The Dutch regulator ACM (Autoriteit Consument en Markt) sets a priority framework, maatschappelijk prioriteren in Dutch, that decides which requests in a shared waiting list get capacity first, based on societal categories rather than only request date or connection size.
Source: Enexis, maatschappelijk prioriteren.
What changed on 1 July 2026?
In congested Enexis zones, from 1 July 2026 all new or heavier connection requests enter one shared waiting list: households, small business and large business together. The automatic reservation that small connections used to receive ended on that date. Position in the queue is now set by the priority framework, not only by connection size or application date.
A simple first-come, first-served reading of a queue is no longer enough in these zones. Two technically similar projects may face different timelines if they fall into different priority categories.
Source: Enexis, nieuwe werkwijze voor stroomaanvragen, VNG, nieuwe ACM-regels.
Why does this matter for site screening?
Capacity availability alone no longer answers whether a project can connect on a workable timeline in a congested area. The other half of the question is which priority category a request falls into, and where it ranks against everyone else already on that list. A project that looks well positioned on the capacity map alone can still face a long wait if it sits in a lower priority category behind a large volume of higher-priority requests.
Decision lens
Before treating a congested area as ruled out, or a partially open area as safe, check which priority category a project would fall into and how full that category's queue already is. The two questions are separate, and the second one is the one the capacity map does not show.
See also: the glossary entry for priority framework, and the related congestion easer explainer, since congestion easers sit at the top of this priority framework.
This explainer is evergreen and updated if the underlying ACM rule changes. To respond or flag an update: [email protected].