NETHERLANDS
The Third Energy Memorandum of 1995 stated that the
Dutch Government intended to meet 10% of the nation’s
fossil fuel use with renewable energy by 2020, and
that wind energy would play an integral part in this
strategy.
In 1999 the Government published Renewable Energy
in Progress – a report on the progress of the strategy.
It noted that at the beginning of the year, Novem
(the Netherlands Agency for Energy and the Environment)
had been awarded a new two-year programme for implementation
in 1999/2000 as part of the Multi-year Programme for
the Application of Wind Energy in the Netherlands
(TWIN). The report on the TWIN programme for 1997/1998
concluded that the improvement in the price-performance
ratio for wind turbines in the Netherlands was proceeding
on schedule, but that the rate of installation was
lagging behind. Both in 1997 and 1998, wind capacity
grew by approximately 40 MW. Formerly this low growth
could be explained by a combination of factors, including
those of a financial nature, but latterly the main
problem has been that locations are not being provided
at a fast enough rate. Developing locations is a key
theme of the TWIN progamme and will help prepare and
develop near-shore and offshore wind energy.
By end-1999 the total operational wind capacity in
the Netherlands was 408 MW, with 1 258 turbines. At
this disappointingly low level, the target of 750
MW by 2000 seemed unlikely to be attained. The underlying
cause of the problem is lack of public support at
local level. By applying a broad range of activities
under the aegis of the information campaign ‘Room
for Wind Energy’, Novem and the Project Agency for
Sustainable Energy are attempting to increase public
acceptance of wind energy.
Although there is some utility ownership of wind turbines,
the majority of Dutch wind turbines are in private
ownership, often with shares held by farmers on whose
land the turbines stand.
COUNTRY NOTES
(WIND ENERGY)
Argentina
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