Generation, storage and sharing
Sustainable energy,
from and for ourselves
Sustainable energy,
from and for ourselves
| To become energy neutral, we need more locally produced sustainable energy in the municipality of Alphen aan den Rijn, which can be shared by and with residents, organisations, and businesses. Sustainable energy that also belongs to us, the residents of Alphen aan den Rijn. In other words: local ownership.
Local ownership ensures that the interests of local residents are taken into account when installing solar panels or wind turbines, either independently or in collaboration with others. A good mix of sustainable energy from solar and wind power is important in this regard. Read more about local ownership at these page. |
Policy priority
Local ownership is one of the key priorities of Energiek Alphen aan den Rijn's policy. The Energy Agreement sets out the ambition to ensure that at least fifty percent of new solar and wind projects are owned by the local community (residents, businesses and public institutions/organisations). For us, this is an important starting point in the development of new energy transition projects. We believe that increasing say and financial ownership increases the involvement and acceptance of new, sustainable energy projects. It also counterbalances larger commercial project developers, for whom profit (maximisation) is an important goal. At the beginning of 2025, the EA board issued a statement on this subject (‘We generate the energy we use ourselves.’), what you here can read.
Local ownership also keeps the proceeds from the energy generated within the local community. Increasing individualisation, the unpredictable global and local climate, and highly fluctuating energy prices are leading more and more citizens to seek each other out to make this possible in communities such as these.
Local4Local
This development has led to the project Local4Local, which is being implemented by various partners under the direction of Energy Together. This is the national umbrella organisation and interest group for energy cooperatives. Energiek Alphen aan den Rijn is one of the signatories of the Local4Local charter. The charter forms the basis for cooperation and shared values among energy communities striving for a fair and sustainable energy market. It was drawn up by democratic energy communities to secure local control over energy and money flows, strengthen cooperation between communities and create a collective force that contributes to a sustainable future. You can read the Local4Local charter here download.
Our project in Benthuizen is part of a series of pilot projects supported by Local4Local. Click here For more information about this project, please visit the Local4Local website.
