Minister vs. MPs on wind farm locations

Coalition parties VVD and PvdA proposed that alternatives for big wind turbine farms in the three northerly provinces should get a serious change. They did so during a debate about Cabinet plans for wind energy on land and at sea in the House of Representatives on Friday. According to Albert de Vries of the PvdA and Pieter Litjens of the VVD, it is important for the support of the local population if alternatives are sought. Both MPs believe that it doesn't matter if looking for alternatives takes more time. Minister Henk Kamp (Economic Affairs) is calling this "very unwise." He does not want to shift from the Structure Vision Wind Energy on Land that was put together last month. He worries that looking for alternative locations again will result in goals not being realized on time. In 202, 14 percent of the electricity in the Netherlands has to be produced sustainably. The Cabinet has pointed out eleven locations on land for large wind farms in order to reach this goal. The wind turbines must collectively deliver 6000 megawatts of energy in 2020. All parties support these plans in the Cabinet, bar the PVV. Many Cabinet ministers did emphasize the need for support. The Cabinet is not doing enough to get this, according to Agnes Mulder of the CDA. She disapproves of the Cabinet for this. Melanie Schultz (Infrastructure an Environment) states that residents are in fact sufficiently included in the projects. Residents must also be able to profit financially from wind turbines. Kamp proposes that this can be achieved with lower electricity bills. Residents and initiatives of wind farms must arrange this amongst themselves, however, he adds. Pieter Litjens wants to look at clusters of wind farms at sea. According to him, there is now too much fragmentation, and clustering could make it cheaper. Minister Kamp agrees. He hopes to be able to achieve the first registration for a wind turbine park off the coast of Borssele at the end of next year.