Dutch produce more green electricity but target still a long way off
AMSTERDAM -
The Netherlands is generating more electricity from sustainable sources but is still far from reaching its targets, the national statistics office CBS said on Friday.
In total, the Netherlands produced 17 billion kilowatts of green energy last year, a rise of 10% on 2016. Sustainable sources now account for 13.8 per cent of energy generation.
The biggest growth was in wind energy – up 16 per cent to 9.6 billion kWh – or the equivalent of energy for three million households. Wind energy now accounts for 60 per cent of green Dutch power. The amount of solar power, which accounts for 34% of green energy production, rose almost 13 per cent.
In January, European statistics agency Eurostat said the Netherlands is near the bottom of a new table on renewable energy use in Europe. The EU has a target of a fifth of all energy use from green sources by 2020 and – while some countries have reached their own targets – the Dutch, French and Irish need to increase their rates by at least 6%, Eurostat said.
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Federal government spends $11.8M for smart grid technology in Sault Ste. Marie
SAULT STE MARIE - PUC Distribution Inc. in Sault Ste. Marie is receiving $11.8 million from the federal government to invest in infrastructure.
The MP for the riding, Terry Sheehan, made the announcement on Monday.
The money will go to the utilities smart grid project.
"This smart grid project offers a glimpse into our clean energy future and represents a new wave of economic activity for the region," Sheehan said.
"Along with job creation, new industries will be attracted to a modern grid, all while helping the environment."
His office says the investment will allow the utility to reduce outages, provide more information to customers…
