More than half the energy used in the Netherlands last week came from renewable sources for the first time, according to website Energieopwek.nl, an alliance between gas company Gasunie and national grid groups Tennet and Netbeheer Nederland. Almost 54% of the energy used last week was officially classed as green although 10% of the total was generated by biomass, which campaign groups do not always consider to be sustainable.
Solar power accounted for 11% and wind energy 31%. Although the number of wind turbines and solar panels in the Netherlands has expanded considerably, last week’s windy, yet sunny, weather also had a major role in the record-breaking week. The use of biomass, or organic material, is controversial because the Netherlands imports large quantities of wood chips from abroad to burn in power stations.