Small energy firms much greener than biggest Dutch players: report

Small new energy firms in the Netherlands are much greener than their larger counterparts, according to the annual sustainability study. Of the five large energy companies, only Eneco scored a "sufficient" in the study, NOS reports.

The study is performed annually by the Consumentenbond, Natuur en Mileu, Greenpeace and Wise.

The other four large energy providers in the Netherlands - Eon, Nuon, Delta and Essent - all scored lower than 6. According to the researchers, these companies do not contribute to the sustainability of the electricity market in the Netherlands. This is because they invest relatively little in renewable energy.

New players on the market scored much better in the study. DE Unie, Pure Energie and Qurrent all scored a 10. DE Unie does not produce its own energy, but buys it from small local energy companies. The other two generate their own energy.

Of the 34 power suppliers rated in the study, two thirds got an inadequate score. The average score of all companies increased from 5.4 to 5.6

A spokesperson for Nuon criticized the study to NOS. "The study is structured so that you automatically score badly if you also produce fossil fuels like we do. The parties that score high in the rankings produce almost no energy themselves. They only buy it."

The spokesperson added that Nuon produces 20 percent of the wind energy in the Netherlands. "If we stop using fossil fuels, the lights in the Netherlands go out."

A spokesperson for Essent called the study "outdated". "Smaller parties that only sell electricity make a very limited contribution on the road to sustainable energy."