Renewable energy targets impossible: report

Almost a year has passed since the National Energy Accord in its current form was signed. Tomorrow the Plan Bureau for the Environment (PBL) and the Energy research Center of the Netherlands (ECN) will present the "National Energy Outlook", in which the agreements in the energy accord are central. The as yet confidential report is in the possession of Trouw newspaper and RTL Nieuws. According to Trouw, the energy accord is full of uncertainties and hopeful expectations. An important pillar of the accord is the agreement that 14 percent of all energy will be from renewable sources by 2020. This is the bare minimum that Europe wants from the Netherlands. The report states that with established policy a share of 10.6 percent is expected. This can grow to 12.4 percent when all proposed plans are implemented successfully, but it is still inadequate. The problems are not limited to the generation of green energy. The accord is based on energy savings of 100 petajoules (PJ) in 2020. One PJ is what 15 thousand households consume annually in electricity and gas. The entire society is supposed to be more energy efficient. This is a huge challenge, and unrealistic according to the report. In the worst case scenario, the total savings will be 19 PJ. At best it will be 61 PJ. The energy accord will be evaluated at the end of 2016. If it appears that the project is not on track, additional measures will be taken. There is increasing pressure on Minister Kamp to intervene.