Action Tuesday Energy cooperative Rijne Energie informs the city council: “Put the wind to work now”

Mon Apr 1, 09:44

News Submitted

UTRECHT > On Tuesday evening, April 2, between 7:00 PM and 7:30 PM, members of the energy cooperative Rijne Energie will campaign for more wind energy at the Old Town Hall (Korte Minrebroederstraat 2, Utrecht). They plead with the municipal council for their plan to install four wind turbines near the A12 south of Utrecht. With their slogan ‘Put the wind to work now!’ they want to show the council members that there is no time to lose: because of the climate, grid congestion and bottom-up initiative. There will then be a council information meeting about the plan between 7:30 PM and 8:30 PM in the Old Town Hall.

Quickly install wind turbines against climate emergency

In 2019, the Utrecht city council declared a climate emergency. By now putting the wind to work, the council is giving substance to that cry, according to the activists. Studying even further on the alternative idea of ​​the project developers will actually take us further away from solving the climate crisis, they argue. “We have a careful and certain plan. The alternative idea has many vulnerabilities and only a few very uncertain benefits. It is now important to quickly double the amount of green energy in the municipality of Utrecht with our plan,” says Matthijs Sienot, board member of Rijne Energie in his spare time.

Grid operator states: wind turbines help against grid congestion

The activists also want to put the wind to work against grid congestion. There is too little (green) electricity in the Utrecht region. Because the high-voltage grid is full, it cannot easily be supplied from further away. We can reduce grid congestion by quickly generating more electricity in the region. Grid operator Stedin previously welcomed the province’s wind plan and also embraces these wind turbines. The connection for this has already been requested and promised, as stated in the municipality’s draft zoning plan. “We are putting the wind to work so that the Utrecht charging stations do not have to be turned off between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., as Stedin is now asking, and to connect residential areas and companies earlier,” Sienot underlines.

“Can our volunteers count on a reliable government?”

The plan by Rijne Energie (almost 1,000 members) is unique in the region: it would be the first wind farm that is half owned by residents. “Our members also paid for the investigations with their savings. In addition, there are thousands of hours of volunteers: for supervising research, arranging agreements and consulting with partners. I also do this myself as a ‘hobby that got out of hand’. We don’t need any money for that, all we ask is the certainty of a reliable and predictable government,” says Sienot. “If the council gives us that certainty, it also gives confidence to all those other resident initiatives in our municipality that are working with green energy, such as Oog voor Warmte, Energie-U or Veemarkt Samen.”