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In early 2024, Sam Towns, the program coordinator of charging infrastructure at the Rotterdam Municipality was hit with shocking news: the regional grid operator announced it wanted to turn off all public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations during peak hours in the afternoon and evening, due to lack of capacity in the electricity grid. Sam knew that the grid could not handle much more load, but this decision would make collaborations on improving grid management even harder. She called an emergency meeting with key stakeholders and decision makers related to EV charging and its impact on the grid.
This role-play case addresses key issues and challenges in the energy transition, with a focus on EVs and power grid management. Each of the six roles is a key stakeholder and decision maker that contributes to and/or can improve grid management. Over the course of the negotiations, stakeholders try to find common ground on four key decision variables: charging stations, grid upgrades, flexibility options, and grid operator direct control.
What I really like about this case is that it clearly reveals the bottlenecks in the energy transition in general, and in grid congestion in particular. Grid congestion is a topic that frequently makes the news. With this case, participants can experience first-hand just how challenging it really is, not only from a technical perspective, but also from a leadership and decision-making point of view.
Malou Kroezen, Managing Director of the Erasmus Centre for Energy Transition
