Development of sustainable energy is crumbling in the Netherlands, specialists warn

The development of sustainable energy on land is at risk of coming to a standstill, according to a mid-year update from the regional energy strategies (RES). The 2030 target of at least 35 terawatt hours (TWh) of renewable energy on land will likely be met. However, the more ambitious goal of 55 TWh is increasingly out of reach.

“The demand for electricity is only increasing, but the development of solar and wind energy is stagnating. You see that climate and energy are no longer the first priority,” said Kristel Lammers, the director of the National Program RES. This program supports the 30 RES regions in the Netherlands.

Several years ago, the regions drew up plans to jointly generate 55 terawatt hours of energy by 2030 through solar panels and wind turbines. This is significantly higher than the agreement of 35 TWh from the Climate Agreement. The Netherlands aims to be climate-neutral by 2050 at the latest.

“The agreement for 2030 will be reached, but our ambitious target is slowly going out of reach because of stagnation,” said Lammers. “Areas that were always frontrunners in developing sustainable energy, like Flevoland, Groningen, Friesland, and Zeeland, are also stagnating in continued development after 2030.”

According to Lammers, this is due to the “social discussion regarding wind energy,” the absence of national environmental standards for wind turbines, and the lack of political and public support.

It was also stated that the lack of space in the Netherlands is also an issue. “Residential construction, business activity, and more recently, the military are all demanding more and more space. Climate and energy are not currently at the top of the agenda.”

Alderman Marcel Blind of the Overijssel municipality of Olst-Wijhe, who handles climate and energy matters for the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG), has seen discussions “grind to a halt” in local councils. Blind: “A few years ago, we were heavily engaged with this topic, but now you can see the momentum deflating.”

In large parts of the Netherlands, there have been issues with grid congestion, which occurs when the electricity network is full. In several areas, major electricity consumers can no longer get a connection. That’s why local generation and use of energy is crucial, according to Lammers. “At the local level, there must be a balance between supply and demand, otherwise development will stall.”