The energy transition in Dutch spatial planning: two case studies of implementing wind farms in The Netherlands

Abstract

The current energy transition entails the change of energy sources to more and more renewable sources. The reasons for this energy transition are: 1) CO2 emission reduction in the context of climate change, 2) the running out of fossil fuels, and 3) energy security, i.e. decreasing dependence on geopolitical parties. Because of these three arguments the energy transition is part of national and international policies. Apart from the advantages of the transition, there are some downsides too: renewable energy sources have a lower energy density than fossil fuels; more space is needed. Another characteristic is that renewable energy sources can be used to generate electricity in a decentralised manner. The Dutch government currently chooses to implement large-scale on-shore wind projects. On-shore wind energy is currently the cheapest renewable energy and the large-scale approach aims to affect as few sites as possible. Local sites are affected heavily when a large wind farm is projected there. In this research two case studies of such wind farms are looked at.