Electricity prices are on the rise. this is partly caused by a relatively small supply of power from wind turbines. In addition, the high gas price also plays a role. The government has taken a drastic step to save gas. The coal-fired power stations are fully utilized again.
The electricity price has made a significant sprint upwards in the past week. On Friday, June 17, the quotation on the EPEX rose to €261,23 per MWh. That is the highest price in three months. Over the weekend, prices fell by €159,52 per MWh on Sunday 19 June. Today (Tuesday, June 21) the price has risen sharply again to €271,55 per MWh.
The sun shines enough for a wide supply of electricity during the day. There is less wind, which means that there is relatively little supply during the morning and evening peaks of demand. At those times, electricity generated from fossil fuels dominates the market. Due to the climate objective, a restriction has been placed on the production of coal-fired power stations. The Netherlands is therefore largely dependent on gas-fired power stations. But there is a problem with the supply of gas. As a result, the gas price has risen sharply in recent days and the stock build-up for the coming winter is being damaged.
Better late than never
Following Germany's lead, the Netherlands has now also decided to act accordingly. Minister Rob Jetten for Climate and Energy has announced that coal-fired power stations may temporarily not be used at a maximum of 35%, but that the power stations may operate at full capacity. Various experts have been asking for this measure for some time because it makes it relatively easy to save on gas. Coalition parties CDA and VVD already urged at the end of May to amend the law as quickly as possible. For D66, this was out of the question because of the additional CO2 emissions associated with it. The coal-fired power stations will only be able to be heated additionally in a few weeks. First, the measure must be further developed into a legal framework, it must be ensured that the power stations are allowed to emit extra CO2 and additional coal must be stocked. Several experts are critical of the government's slowness in intervening in the impending energy crisis. A lot of time has been wasted as a result.
It appears that firing up coal-fired power stations will not pass the CO2 emission limit in the Urgenda ruling. Due to the high energy prices, consumers and companies have already made additional savings on their energy consumption. Jetten has also announced measures to compensate for the extra CO2 emissions in order to still achieve the climate goals.