Germany’s drive to boost its reliance on sustainable energy could end up hurting Dutch efforts to invest more in sun, wind and water power, according to ABN Amro economists.

The surplus in green energy generated in Germany is being sold at vastly reduced prices to Dutch power firms, economist Hans van Cleef said in the report, as quoted by news agency ANP.

This means Dutch gas and coal-fired power stations are idle, leading to reduced income for Dutch power generation firms. This in turn, means they have less income to invest in new green initiatives, the report states.

However, the import of cheap German power is good for Dutch consumers and could lead to lower fuel bills, Van Cleef is quoted as saying.