‘The Netherlands is late with energy measures’
The cabinet is negotiating with energy companies about a maximum price for energy and about skimming off extreme profits. “Smart”, Diederik Samsom these ideas. “But the Netherlands is late when you see that other European countries have already done a lot.”
Samsom is the head of private office of Frans Timmermans, Vice-President of the European Commission. He proposed this week a proposal to keep energy prices for entrepreneurs and hamburgers. Member States will design and implement the plans themselves.
Many EU countries have already come up with measures on their own, such as extra tax on the high profits that energy companies now make. Samsom: “The Dutch government has been saying since before the summer that it is actually necessary to take measures. If you keep up with that, it will become true automatically, then it will automatically become January.”
Families with a sauna have to pay a little more.
Samsom is pleased that the Netherlands is now taking action. “If we lean back, it just gets harder.” Some of the Dutch ideas may come to agreements with European plans, such as a limit to the price consumers pay for energy.
Samsom explains such a price cap can work: “The first 1500 kilowatt-hours, half the average consumption of an average family, you give for that lower price. If a family uses even more on top of that, because it has an electric electric blanket, swimming pool or a sauna, that family has to pay a little more.”
“People with an average consumption do not have to worry about a huge bill. But this system does encourage you to do your best to use less energy.”
Brake on green investments?
Brussels also wants oil and gas producers, such as Shell and BP, to pay 33 percent extra tax on the extra profit they have made this year. A “solidarity tax” on “screeching profits” Samsom that.
In addition, the Commission wants a revenue ceiling for renewable electricity and nuclear energy. Many of those companies now make very high profits as the gas price determines the price of electricity. The cap means that the companies will not receive more than 180 euros per megawatt hour, much less than they are currently receiving.
Some analyzes of this plan are investment in green hampers. “We struggled with goals with that,” says Samsom. “But those companies now get 360 euros per megawatt hour during wind farms and solar parks, of course with some variation, for less than 100 euros per megawatt hour. I wish those companies all the best, but those excess profits really belong to the consumers.”
“We have spoken well with the large investments in sustainable energy. We are not inhibiting those investments with this plan.”
‘Next winter will be difficult’
Brussels also wants countries to save even more energy. Samsom expects that Europe will get through the winter with the current stocks, but that it will be next winter. Because Europe probably won’t get any more gas from Russia. “That’s why we have to start saving energy now.”
“If we do that well, we will also survive next winter. In the coming years we will deploy very sustainable energy. In three, four years we will be rid of the problems.”