One of the main shareholders of energy concern Nuon, the provincial government of Noord-Holland, has called on the state to buy a stake in the country’s second largest utility.

In a letter to the Volkskrant on Saturday, the provincial government said that such a move would guarantee the public interest when Nuon’s production and supply activities are taken over by a foreign company.
Nuon is currently considering bids from three foreign energy concerns.
The province of Noord-Holland says it is the only large shareholder which wants Nuon to remain in public ownership. But its 9% stake will not be enough to exert influence on the new owners, says the province. However with a combined stake of 25% in Nuon, the national and local government would have a say in the company.
‘The state has taken over Fortis and ABN Amro so why not take a stake in an essential company such as Nuon?’ asks Bart Heller who is responsible for environmental affairs in the provincial government.
‘The province of Noord-Holland believes it is important that the public retains a stake in Nuon to ensure security of supply and to stimulate and guarantee renewable power production,’ says Heller.