The Netherlands will face a shortage of renewable energy if a draft European Commission directive is accepted, says today’s Financieele Dagblad. At present around 2.4 million Dutch households use green power, around half of it generated abroad.

According to the paper, the EC wants to end the sale of ‘fake’ renewable power by banning the European trade in green energy certificates. Dutch energy suppliers bought 21% of all the green certificates available in Europe last year.
The paper says the aim of the new directive – which will be presented next month – is to increase the actual production of renewable power rather than encourage the trade of green power certificates.
Over 50% of the renewable power sold in the Netherlands is not generated domestically. Instead it comes mainly from existing hydro electric power plants in Norway and Sweden via green power certificates, says the FD. The consumer association tells the paper that this is ‘fake’ green energy.
The Dutch energy firms say banning cross border trade in green certificates is not necessary. If demand for green power rises, the price of green certificates will go up and producers will automatically be forced to invest more in new production, they say.