The government spends billions of euros in grants and subsidies for sustainable energy projects which are making companies lazy, economic affairs minister Maria van der Hoeven says in an article in Tuesday’s Volkskrant.



The minister has allocated billions of euros to companies developing wind and solar energy under the so-called SDE ruling – a central part of Dutch efforts to meet the Netherlands Kyoto targets on climate change.

‘Sustainable energy will still be too expensive to contribute to CO2 reduction for years to come,’ Van der Hoeven said. ‘We should not go on for ever subsidising the difference between the market price and the cost price.

‘That costs the government billions of euros and makes companies lazy. We have to stop it,’ the minister wrote.

The minister also said grants for clean energy projects are leading to ‘subsidy wars’ between European countries. For example, wind parks at sea are built where the subsidies are highest, she said.

Van der Hoeven has already announced she is leaving active politics after the June 9 election.