What if grid constraints were a revenue stream instead of a roadblock? Independent EV grid integration consultant Jaap Burger argues that this is the conversation CPOs need to be having, and that far too few are having it with policymakers and regulators. 

Flexibility creates value in two ways: through energy markets, and as a non-wire alternative that avoids costly grid build-out. With grid connection queues growing from the Netherlands to Denmark, that value is getting harder for charge point operators to ignore. Recorded at ICNC 2026 for Episode 57 of FLEXeCHARGE's ChargePoint Podcast. 

About the guest: Jaap Burger is an independent consultant specialising in EV grid integration, including smart and bidirectional charging. He works across regulation, policy and innovation, translating policy into business terms for companies and showing policymakers what charging technology can already deliver today. 

In the full episode: 

• Flexibility as a revenue stream for CPOs, through energy markets and as a non-wire alternative to grid build-out 

• Why more CPOs should engage directly with regulators and policymakers on grid integration 

• How smart charging, depot charging and energy management went from niche to mainstream since ICNC 2024 

• Why investors are now asking CPOs about the value of smart charging 

• Grid connection queues as a major bottleneck in the Netherlands, Denmark and other European markets 

• Why Europe is not one market, and what CPOs can learn from the Nordics, Germany, the UK, Australia and Canada 

• The hidden cost of grid fees and DSO peak tariffs, and how the EV charging market is shifting towards profitability 

🎧 Listen the full episode to hear how Jaap has seen the smart charging conversation change in two years, and what CPOs are doing about grid congestion today. The episode also features Joakim, co-founder of Peak Energy, on why grid costs are the next frontier for CPO profitability.