Citizen participation is an obligatory criterion. Citizens and SMEs will be able to gain direct access to wind energy, for example through a cooperative. In addition, the industry will have direct access to a maximum of half of the electricity produced by offshore wind farms.
“The builders of the wind farms must give citizens direct access to participate. That is very important to us. It is the cheapest electricity we can make and we must ensure that this cheap electricity reaches the citizens in a cheap way” , says Tinne Van der Straeten.
This should give a boost to investments in renewable energy. Thanks to the so-called “tender model”, excess profits are ruled out and there is investment certainty, reports the cabinet of Minister Van der Straeten.
