The Speed Paradox

The leaves on the trees are changing color, the temperature is dropping, and it’s time to break out the umbrella again. That’s right, summer is over, and we’re already well into the last quarter of 2026.

Time for a brief look back at Q3. Accelerating the energy transition means working hard, overcoming major hurdles, and pushing boundaries. But to accelerate, you sometimes have to slow down, so we’re taking it a notch easier this summer. At least, that’s the plan. My summer was all about protecting the bald eagle, and that actually required picking up the pace. So despite the summer slowdown, the theme of my look back is: speed.

The pace of life today is fast. The rise of AI is happening at an unprecedented rate. This allows us to work faster and more efficiently. We need to become more resilient more quickly. The climate is changing faster than expected, etc.

Everything is moving faster. Everything has to move faster. And that’s where the paradox lies. The energy transition needs to happen quickly, but it’s moving slowly. Too slowly. There is an urgent need for clean and affordable energy, available when we need it, without dependence on totalitarian regimes. We need a Japanese bullet train, but we’re stuck in the midst of Dutch rail construction projects. Delay after delay.

Why does it take five years to make a decision on new regulations for onshore wind turbines? Why do you have to wait years for a ruling from the Council of State? Why are regulations often the biggest obstacle to resolving local grid congestion? Why is the price of electricity still largely dependent on the price of fossil fuels?

Meanwhile, reality is catching up with us.

The consequences are palpable. Businesses cannot expand because there is insufficient grid capacity. Investments are being postponed. And people who work every day to advance the energy transition are losing their patience and sometimes even their motivation.

We’re falling further and further behind. With all the consequences that entails. For example, this week at GreenTrust Consultancy we had to say goodbye to talented employees for the first time in 13 years because projects are simply moving too slowly and motivation is waning.

That really hits home for me. Because behind all the plans, ambitions, and projects are people who want to move forward. People who want to make a difference, but who need a sense of direction to do so.

For example, we’re working hard on energy hubs that are urgently needed. But a successful energy hub requires trust, and building trust and moving quickly don’t go hand in hand.

GreenTrust is working on picking up speed. But to pick up speed, you have to slow down every now and then. Slow down to build trust, find solutions to unnecessary obstacles, and recharge your batteries. Shift down a gear every now and then so you can then move forward like a bullet train.

Summer is over; let “acceleration” be the mantra of the energy transition in the coming period. Not by running into the same obstacles even harder, but by working together to clear them out of the way. Who’s in?