Premium Payments for Renewable Energy in the Netherlands

By Paul Gipe

 

The Netherlands has never implemented Renewable Energy Tariffs. Instead the Dutch have tried numerous mechanisms with varying degrees of success. They abandoned their most recent measure, trading of renewable energy credits in early 2004. The Dutch have implemented a system of premium payments funded by taxes on conventional sources of energy. This program has met with some success but there is a movement to abandon this program too and simply adopt a policy similar to that of Germany’s Renewable Energy Sources Act.