For Alliander, making better use of existing grid capacity increasingly depends on digital capabilities for forecasting, power flow calculations, and flexibility, and Mark Nigge-Uricher argues that those capabilities are stronger when utilities build them together through open source.
In his keynote, “Delivering Flexibility Through Open Source,” at LF Energy Summit Europe 2026 in Berlin, Nigge-Uricher, Senior Business Developer at Alliander, explained why flexibility has become part of the Dutch distribution system operator’s daily toolkit and how projects including OpenSTEF and Power Grid Model support the digital capabilities behind it.
Making better use of the grid that already exists
Alliander distributes electricity between generators and consumers in the Netherlands. Nigge-Uricher said the company’s mission is to provide reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy, a task that is becoming more complex as electrification increases demand on the grid.
He pointed to more than 10,000 customers in the Netherlands waiting for a connection. Those connections can represent businesses seeking to electrify vehicle fleets, farmers expanding their operations, or families waiting for electricity at newly built homes.
Building additional physical infrastructure remains part of the answer. But Nigge-Uricher argued that grid operators also need to make smarter use of the capacity that already exists rather than building only for periods of peak demand.
That makes flexibility a continuing operational capability rather than a temporary measure.
As he explained, flexibility means shifting electricity consumption or generation from periods of higher demand to times when grid capacity is available. For utilities, the value lies in making more effective use of existing infrastructure while continuing to build and renew the physical grid.
Flexibility requires digital capabilities
Managing flexibility depends on understanding not only current grid conditions but also what is likely to happen next.
Nigge-Uricher described a sequence of digital capabilities that supports that process:
- Forecasting to look from the present into future demand and generation.
- Power flow calculations to understand how electricity will move through the network.
- Execution to act on that information and manage flexibility.
As those decisions become more complex, he said the digital grid is becoming one of the core capabilities of a distribution system operator, increasingly important alongside its physical infrastructure.
The challenge is also shared. Distribution system operators, transmission system operators, businesses, and customers all interact with the same energy system. Flexibility itself depends on that coordination because, as Nigge-Uricher noted, DSOs do not inherently own the flexibility they need. They have to work with customers that can adjust consumption or generation.
That makes interoperability especially important. Systems need to work together so organizations can communicate, share what they have learned, and avoid developing the same capabilities independently.
OpenSTEF and Power Grid Model in the flexibility workflow
Nigge-Uricher highlighted two LF Energy projects as examples of the digital capabilities Alliander uses in this work: OpenSTEF and Power Grid Model.
He described forecasting as a core capability at the beginning of flexibility management. Improving a forecast, he said, pays off throughout the process because decisions about future grid conditions depend on the quality of that forecast. OpenSTEF is one of the areas in which Alliander has collaborated over time.
Power Grid Model supports the next part of the process. Nigge-Uricher explained that forecasts created for individual assets can be linked through their relationships in the grid so operators can calculate power flows. Those calculations can help identify where bottlenecks originate and where action may be needed.
Together, the two examples show how forecasting and grid calculations connect in the workflow Nigge-Uricher described: anticipate future conditions, understand how those conditions affect the network, and use that information to manage available capacity.
Why Alliander sees open source as a necessity
Nigge-Uricher’s central argument was not about code alone. It was about collaboration on challenges that utilities around the world increasingly share.
“For me, the real strength of open source is not the code itself. It’s the collaboration.”
He argued that open source enables people to work across company and geographic boundaries, bringing expertise together in a structured way instead of requiring every organization to solve the same problem independently.
That collaboration can also support interoperability and allow participants to share knowledge, development costs, and the benefits created by common digital infrastructure.
For Alliander, Nigge-Uricher framed this as an operational requirement rather than an ideological position.
“It’s not an ideology. It’s a necessity for us to be able to deliver our mission of reliable, affordable and sustainable energy.”
As flexibility becomes part of day-to-day grid operations, his message was clear: the physical grid and the digital capabilities used to understand and operate it increasingly have to develop together. When the underlying challenges are shared, open source gives utilities and their partners a way to develop those capabilities together as well.
Watch the keynote
Watch Mark Nigge-Uricher’s full keynote, “Delivering Flexibility Through Open Source.”
Frequently asked questions
Why does flexibility matter to grid operators?
Nigge-Uricher described flexibility as the ability to shift electricity consumption or generation to times when grid capacity is available. This can help grid operators make better use of existing infrastructure while physical grid expansion continues.
What digital capabilities did Mark Nigge-Uricher connect to grid flexibility?
He described forecasting as necessary for looking from the present into the future, followed by power flow calculations that help operators understand network conditions and identify where bottlenecks originate. He then connected those capabilities to executing flexibility actions.
How did OpenSTEF and Power Grid Model feature in the keynote?
Nigge-Uricher presented OpenSTEF in the context of forecasting, which he described as a core capability at the start of flexibility management. He presented Power Grid Model in the context of linking individual asset forecasts through their relationships in the grid, calculating power flows, and understanding where bottlenecks originate.
Why did Nigge-Uricher argue for open source collaboration?
He described grid digitalization as a shared challenge that extends across organizations and borders. In his keynote, he argued that open source enables participants to work together, share knowledge and costs, support interoperability, and bring expertise together without being limited by company boundaries.
About the LF Energy projects discussed
OpenSTEF was presented by Nigge-Uricher as an example of Alliander’s work on forecasting, which he described as a core capability at the beginning of managing flexibility.
Power Grid Model was presented as a capability for connecting forecasts for individual grid assets through their network relationships, calculating power flows, and helping identify where bottlenecks originate.
About LF Energy
LF Energy is the Linux Foundation’s neutral home to build the digital foundation for energy together. We host more than three dozen open source projects used to plan, operate, and modernize energy systems. The portfolio spans from transmission system modeling to substation virtualization, smart meter integration to EV charging. We provide the trust layer: neutral governance, legal frameworks, security practices, and community of practitioners that turn open source software, standards, and data into infrastructure the industry can depend on for decades. Members include utilities, energy companies, vendors, researchers, and technology providers, aligned to deliver affordable, reliable, safe, and clean energy. For more information, please visit lfenergy.org.
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AI Disclosure
This post used artificial intelligence tools for research, structural assistance, or grammatical refinement. The final content was reviewed, edited, and validated by human contributors to LF Energy to ensure accuracy and alignment with our community standards. We remain committed to transparency in the use of generative technologies within the open source ecosystem.
Last updated: October 7, 2026