OREANDA-NEWS. November 02, 2015. The Dutch Renewable Energy Foundation (NVDE) was launched today in The Hague. Gasunie is a member of this organisation, the aim of which is to bring the energy transition a step closer through practical cooperation with partners across the energy chain. The strength of the foundation lies in this collaboration, in that it includes players from all links in the chain, from producers and network operators to branch organisations. All these players share a single goal: to create a sustainable supply of energy based on renewable sources. The chairman of the new foundation is Teun Bokhoven. Herman Wijffels, former chairman of the Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands and former CEO of Rabobank, will head the advisory council.

Gasunie’s membership of the foundation is a logical move. We believe we can only bring energy transition closer by working with other agencies, which is why we recently launched the campaign Let’s Design Our Energy, to create an open platform for dialogue and cooperation in the sphere of energy transition. We want to demonstrate that the new approach to energy is the result of a shared process. Our membership of the NVDE is part of that process.

The NVDE will urge the government on behalf of all its members to commit to a fully renewable energy supply by no later than 2050 in respect of production, combined heat and cooling and transport. This should be done through energy conservation, efficient consumption and the use of renewable energy. The foundation will also promote a flexible market, closer cooperation between players in the energy chain and a suitable political decision-making framework to speed up the transition.

Press release

New renewable energy branch organisation to speed up energy transition

NVDE combines the strengths of its members and is committed to a fully renewable energy supply

The Hague, 26 October 2015 – Ten energy branch organisations and 18 private enterprises in the energy sector are today launching a new umbrella organisation to promote renewable energy. The Dutch Renewable Energy Foundation (NVDE) represents roughly 1,000 private enterprises and energy cooperatives and will work towards a fully renewable energy supply by 2050. The NVDE will function as a platform for cooperation within the renewable energy chain and as a discussion partner for the government and politicians. The chairman of the new foundation is Teun Bokhoven. Herman Wijffels, former chairman of the Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands and former CEO of Rabobank, will head the advisory council.

The NVDE brings together large and small branch organisations and individual companies that are actively working on renewable energy in different parts of the chain. This pooling of resources acknowledges that cooperation is vital in order to realise the transition to a renewable energy supply in a successful and timely way, and to ensure that the future energy supply operates stably as a sustainable system. The ‘big themes’, such as the creation of a flexible system for variable energy supply-and-demand and the large-scale conversion from natural gas to other forms of heating require broad and wide-ranging cooperation throughout the energy chain.

The participating branch organisations will continue to operate with their own membership but will bring all or part of their organisation under the NVDE banner in the conviction that much more can be achieved through their combined efforts than if each branch organisation were to act independently. The foundation’s shared strategy will be formulated by its members through four policy committees and in a series of working groups. Branch organisations and the companies that are direct members of the NVDE will thus set the course of the organisation. The NVDE is based in Utrecht and has a secondary office in The Hague.

Incoming NVDE chairman Teun Bokhoven said of the launch: “The transition to an energy system based on renewable sources is moving forward with great momentum. It’s an exciting as well as a challenging transition. One in which market players, new technologies and regulations must be closely aligned. A well-organised renewable energy sector is vital for this. The strength of the NVDE lies in its clear focus on renewable energy based on a broad approach from across the chain bringing together renewable energy producers and cooperatives, national and regional system operators, energy companies, suppliers and firms producing sustainable applications such as electric charging points and heat pumps. The NVDE wants to work with participants from across the chain to speed up the process of energy transition through combined strength, inspiration and plenty of enthusiasm.”

The NVDE will apply the following principles and key priorities:

  • quantified interim targets between now and 2050 for environmental protection, renewable energy and energy conservation
  • introduction of the ‘polluter pays’ principle
  • the transition to renewable energy must include a role for fossil fuels
  • full accessibility of the energy market for newcomers (citizens and private enterprise)
  • the system costs of energy production and consumption must be limited and charged to those responsible for them
  • creation of a more flexible energy market to absorb the imbalance between supply and demand
  • maintain the reliability of the future energy system at the existing high level
  • ‘renewable’ must be sustainable throughout the chain
  • we will not choose between renewable technologies
  • we will apply an internal code of conduct because we want to be a transparent organisation with a common interest

The members of the Dutch Renewable Energy Foundation as at 26 October 2015 are:

Branch organisations:

  • Bodemenergie NL
  • Duurzame Energie Koepel
  • Dutch Heat Pump Association
  • Holland Solar
  • Nederlandse BioKetel Leveranciers (NBKL)
  • ODE-Decentraal (Organisatie voor Duurzame Energie)
  • Pawex (Particuliere Windturbine EXploitanten)
  • REScoopNL
  • Warmtenetwerk
  • Nederlandse Wind Energie Associatie (NWEA)

Private enterprises:

  • ASN Bank
  • CE Delft
  • ECN
  • Delta
  • DNVGL
  • Eneco
  • Enexis
  • EN Natuurlijk
  • Gasunie
  • Greenchoice
  • NUON
  • PWC
  • Qurrent
  • Siemens Nederland
  • Stedin
  • TenneT
  • Warmtebedrijf Purmerend
  • Windunie