This is a brief summary of the so-called general results of the participation process, which was carried out on behalf of the council over the past few months. Walk-in meetings and street interviews were held in all parts of the council area. Residents were also able to complete an online questionnaire. The results are presented in detail in the participation report. You can here read more (including about the continuation of policy-making) and request the participation report.

Frames

At the start of the participation process, the board of Energiek Alphen aan den Rijn emphasised the importance of these consultation rounds. Chairman Erik de Ruijter: “It is important that both the facts and the interests of residents and organisations are clearly outlined, so that the municipal council can ultimately make well-considered decisions about the locations of new wind turbines and solar fields. The results of the participation process make it clear which points need to be taken into account, both in the choice of locations and in the design of the installations. Although you can never satisfy everyone, this does provide the framework that locations and installations must comply with.”

One of the principles of Energiek Alphen aan den Rijn is to generate as much of the energy we use in the municipality as possible in a sustainable manner within the municipality itself. De Ruijter: “We want to achieve energy neutrality in Alphen aan den Rijn by 2050. The sustainable generation and sharing of energy is part of this, as is saving energy and preventing energy waste. We also want to make residents of our municipality more aware of energy issues and encourage them to adapt their behaviour accordingly. Our volunteers are now carrying out various projects in the municipality that contribute to this (see box). Informing, stimulating, innovating and collaborating are key elements of our approach, not only to raise awareness among residents, but also to involve them in the solutions.”

Statement

Energiek Alphen believes that all relevant authorities and residents should decide together how, where and under what conditions sustainable energy is generated. “We established this at the start of the participation process. statement published with our input. Among other things, it states that all areas in the municipality must be considered, not just the N11 and the ITC-PCT site near Hazerswoude-Dorp and Boskoop. These locations were previously mentioned in the province's Regional Energy Strategy,” says De Ruijter. The Alphen aan den Rijn municipal council also decided this last year.

The board further states that nuisance to residents and nature must be minimised and compensated for as much as possible. The opinions of residents in the immediate vicinity of a location for wind turbines and solar parks also carry more weight in the choice of an area than the opinions of residents who live further away. In order to increase support, Energiek Alphen aan den Rijn is in favour of at least fifty percent local ownership of new wind turbines and solar parks.

“As co-owners, residents benefit directly from the proceeds. We don't want the profits to go solely to the (foreign) energy companies or to the manufacturers of wind turbines and solar panels. Local ownership offers opportunities to create support and can make limited nuisance acceptable to residents,” says De Ruijter. Read here more about local ownership.