New homes in part of Almere cannot be connected to the electricity network because of capacity problems, energy providers have told the council.

Last month, power firms warned that the electricity provision to new homes in east and south Flevoland could run into trouble if no more capacity is created on the network by the end of 2026.

In a meeting with providers last week, the council was told that homes being built in Almere Centrum, Stad Oost and Buiten would not be connected to the network or qualify for extra connections with immediate effect.

“We cannot believe this,” city planning alderman Alexander Sprong told local broadcaster Omroep Flevoland.  “This situation is out of all proportion.”

Sprong said the capacity problems are worse than originally thought and that he is relying on caretaker energy minister Rob Jetten to come up with “unorthodox” measures at least for the next couple of years.

If the problem is not solved, the council will have to temporarily stop providing building land, or include a disclaimer in the contract saying the electricity network is full to capacity.

Some 210 businesses in the region are currently also waiting to be connected.