om | nieuwe energie is not your average energy supplier. The company is owned by around 90 local energy cooperatives spread throughout the Netherlands. These cooperatives are made up of citizens and entrepreneurs who together generate electricity through more than 300 projects. Most of this generation comes from solar power, and to a lesser extent from wind. They are also, albeit gradually, becoming active with battery systems. Frank Boon, business developer at om | nieuwe energie, explains: “Our members develop their own projects. As an energy supplier, we provide services for purchasing, delivering, and selling the electricity they generate. We do this together — and for each other.”
The cooperation doesn’t end with the cooperatives alone. om | nieuwe energie works closely with two similar cooperatives. Boon explains: “We are not competitors. We share knowledge and look at each other’s services to see what we can develop together. That way, we use our time and collective strength as efficiently as possible.”
Together with grid operators Liander, Enexis, and Stedin, om | nieuwe energie has been working since last year on structurally making flexibility available. Using CBCs (Capacity-limiting Contracts), it is agreed that a generation asset may temporarily reduce output when the grid requires it. To organize this efficiently, om | nieuwe energie uses the GOPACS platform. “We’ve signed framework agreements with all three major grid operators,” Boon explains. “That was a lengthy process, but it now gives us clarity: we know the compensation offered and the terms that apply.”
When an asset owner contacts the cooperative—often after receiving a letter from the grid operator—they can more quickly offer their assets. “We share our list of controllable projects with the grid operators,” says Boon. “If congestion is expected in a particular area, that list immediately shows whether a suitable installation is available.” The activation of CBCs takes place via the GOPACS platform.
What makes om | nieuwe energie unique is that members view their flexibility as a way to help make other projects possible. “Our members want to contribute to the solution,” says Boon. “They didn’t build their projects just to shut them down. But if doing so helps relieve the grid and allows others to realize their projects, they’re willing to do it.”
He sees this as a collective effort for a broader societal goal: “We’re basically saying: if we all give a little, more people will fit on the grid. That idea really resonates with our members.”
Still, there is tension. “Our members want to feel that they are making an impact. If an asset is never activated, doubts arise: is there really a problem? Is our flexibility being used?”
Asked about current challenges, Boon points to sluggish administrative processes. “We notice that setting up a new contract takes time on the grid operator’s side. After a contract is registered with GOPACS, the grid operator has to manually enter it into the system before we can start using it. Sometimes this process takes up to ten days—precious time if you need to act fast.”
Boon also sees room for improvement in how lost revenues are processed. “Each grid operator reports differently. If we want to inform our customers about lost revenue, we have to manually collect the data per project and per grid operator. That’s time-consuming and prone to error.”
He sees an expanded role for GOPACS as a possible solution: “If the entire process—from activation to settlement—could run through one platform, it would save everyone time and effort.”
Besides CBCs, om | nieuwe energie is now also exploring participation in redispatch. This involves installations responding flexibly to market signals and specific grid situations. That remains a challenge. Boon says: “Often we don’t know exactly which grid segment an installation falls into. Without that insight, we can’t determine whether redispatch is even relevant. That’s an area for improvement. If GOPACS could provide that information, we’d be able to participate more strategically.”
Despite the hurdles, Boon remains optimistic: “The framework agreements are in place, and the first assets are participating in congestion management. We’re gaining ground. If we can streamline the admin processes and improve collective data insight, we’ll be able to use our members’ flexibility even more effectively. Then congestion management becomes a truly sustainable activity—which matters to our members, because they’re in this for the greater good.”
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