Amsterdam to quickly scale up wind energy output by 74 percent

The city of Amsterdam received the go-ahead to substantially increase the amount of wind energy generated in the municipality. The Dutch capital announced plans on Wednesday to add windmills generating an additional 50 megawatts of power by 2026.

The 74-percent increase will boost the city’s wind energy production up to 117 megawatts. New windmills could be placed around Westpoort and the Noorder IJplas, where portions of a massive new residential and mixed-use neighborhood is set for construction.

Amsterdam will also explore adding windmills between the Science Park and the A10 ring road, and also at the Gaasperplas on the city’s southeast side, said Marieke van Doorninck, the lawmaker in charge of the city’s spatial planning and sustainability portfolios. Van Doorninck will also enter into discussions with energy providers, grid operators, private citizens, and businesses to discuss where new windmills should be placed.

Some older windmills will also be replaced by larger models and newer units as part of the plan, a statement from the city said.

The initial proposals for windmill locations will be announced later this year. Planning will be dependent on land owner cooperation, national regulations, and safety guidelines. Permission for the new windmills was granted by the executive branch of the Noord-Holland province.