Opposition party GroenLinks on Thursday launched a private member’s bill aimed at blocking the construction of five new coal-fired power plants in the Netherlands, reports ANP news service.

The draft legislation involves a tax on coal which would discourage investors.
MP Wijnand Duyvendak says the tax would mean coal-fired plants would only be profitable if they use large quantities of biomass (organic material) as an auxiliary fuel or store CO2 emissions underground.
Duyvendak staged a protest action during the shareholders meeting of energy concern Nuon on Thursday to try to persuade the company’s local and provincial government shareholders to vote against coal-powered plants.
GroenLinks says the five power plants will boost Dutch CO2 emissions by 10%.