The Various Forms Of Shared Grid Access Under The Energy Act: An Overview

On 17 September 2026, the European Court of Justice handed down a ruling clarifying the concept of the ‘direct line’. This ruling also broadens the possibilities for direct lines in the Netherlands. In light of these broader possibilities, this article revisits and assesses the various forms of system access (cable pooling, the direct line, the closed system and the group transport agreement), with a particular focus on developers.

Access to the system under the Energy Act

The Energy Act regulates how projects may be connected to the electricity grid (under the Energy Act, a ‘grid’ is defined as a ‘system’). The basic principle is that every immovable property for tax purposes (a so-called ‘WOZ object’) must have its own connection to the system (at least, if the owner wishes the property to have access to the system). If different properties are interconnected by cables and infrastructure, there is a risk that a ‘system’ may be created unintentionally, for which, in principle, a