Dutch Move to Hoist Renewables, Efficiency Despite Cheap Gas

摘要

Sitting on Western Europe's biggest conventional gas field, the Netherlands hasn't really had much economic incentive to pursue renewable energy. But the country's vast gas resource base is literally starting to shake, and the Dutch are projected to become net gas importers in little more than a decade. Along with pressure to meet EU renewable targets for 2020, that is prompting the country of 16 million people to increase its focus not only on renewable energy as an alternative to gas, but also on a broader range of energy sustainability measures, including energy efficiency, energy management and storage innovation, and the development of "smart" homes.