According to an article on nltimes.nl, consumer energy bills have no choice but to increase as more and more green energy is integrated into the network. This is expected to become the new normal, akin to the mentality forced by the Corona lock-down and vaccination measures.
"Despite the declining costs of wind and solar energy, the energy transition is not resulting in lower expenses but rather an increase, according to calculations by consultancy firm PwC for de Volkskrant. Over this decade, consumers and companies are expected to face a 92 percent rise in costs for electricity and natural gas."
So, almost a doubling of energy prices. And this doesn't even include inflation, which might be substantially high over the next decade, as the European Central Bank shows no sign of stopping money printing, and European economies (especially Germany) are entering into recession one by one.
"The surge in electricity bills will be particularly significant, driven by increasing consumption and higher generation costs."
Higher generation costs? Who would have thought that thousands of windmills would generate maintenance costs regularly, being torn down and rebuilt after 20-25 years with a potential environmental disposal nightmare? Or the thousands of kilometers of copper cables connecting these over the fields (and far away), plus dozens of transmission stations? Probably no one.
"The Netherlands is increasingly producing green energy, which is cheaper per kilowatt-hour. By the end of the decade, 70 percent of the electricity supply is expected to be green. However, energy specialist Rutger Bots from PwC highlighted that a portion of electricity is still generated using gas-fired power stations. When these stations operate, electricity prices soar due to the escalating costs of natural gas and CO2. This contributes to the overall increase in electricity expenses."
Cheaper per kWh? Not really. For example, check energiedirect.nl, a provider here in the Netherlands who brags about delivering 100% windmill green electricity. The pricing is far from being "cheap". Unfortunately, the whole idea of cheap green energy is a lie.
The fact that 70% of the electricity will be green is a cause for concern. Fluctuations in the grid will be based on wind strength or the cloudiness of the skies. Some days you might have 200% production, some days only 15% from green sources. To compensate, providers either will buy expensive electricity from other areas (if available) or will dump the excess in other areas, incurring penalties. In the end, this game translates to more costs for consumers.
"The cost of transporting electricity is also rising due to the reinforcement of the Dutch electricity grids. The share of network costs in the total electricity bill is expected to increase from 26 percent to 31 percent. Furthermore, taxes related to electricity are projected to double, from 10 billion to 20 billion euros by 2040."
This is absolutely true and a nightmare for the current electrical network, which has to support more electrical devices, cars, heaters, and so forth. There is simply not enough capacity, and major investments are required to get there. However, politicians are more focused on convincing everyone to install solar panels on their roofs, a very visible business, rather than pushing for a network upgrade (an operation quite hidden and masked by substantial costs in labor and materials).
Meanwhile, the market for electric cars seems to be a little shaky since they are no longer perceived as economical or reasonably priced. But maybe the overlords are right: you'll own nothing, and you'll be happy about it.
"However, two-thirds of buyers find the initial cost of electric cars too high, despite the long-term savings. KPMG warned that the introduction of road tax for electric cars could make fuel cars more appealing again."
In conclusion:
- Green energy will at least double in price in the next decade
- Network costs will result in additional price increases.
- The volatile nature of green energy (wind/solar) will exert more pressure on reliable (natural gas/coal-based) sources.
- This in effect implies more price increases.
- Expensive energy will hinder the efficiency of the European industrial complex, leading to more economic challenges.
- The entire green agenda will be advanced without due consideration for the quality of life of European citizens.
