Green energy in the Netherlands, explained
Real green power comes from Dutch wind and sun. A lot of green marketing is grey power greened on paper with cheap certificates. Here is how to tell them apart.
Truly green power is generated from Dutch wind and sun. Many suppliers sell grey power greened only on paper, using cheap foreign certificates (GvO, Guarantees of Origin). Independent bodies such as Consumentenbond and Milieu Centraal rate suppliers on real sustainability. The good news: genuinely green power does not have to be more expensive.
What counts as truly green
Truly green power is generated from renewable sources, ideally close to home. In the Netherlands that mainly means Dutch wind and sun: onshore and offshore wind, and solar. With this kind of green power, your usage is matched by energy actually generated sustainably in the Netherlands.
There is also green power imported with certificates from abroad, such as Norwegian hydropower. That is still renewable, but the generation happens elsewhere and contributes less to greening the Dutch grid.
Grey power, green on paper
The most misleading form is grey power greened with Guarantees of Origin (GvO). A supplier buys ordinary grey power, then buys cheap certificates from, say, a foreign hydro plant, and may then call the power green even though nothing changed about how your electricity was made.
Because these certificates are cheap and sold separately, there is little incentive to build new renewable capacity. On paper the power is 100% green; in reality almost nothing was greened.
How to spot real green power
Look at the origin. Power called green on the basis of loose foreign GvO certificates is barely greener than grey power. Power from Dutch wind and sun genuinely adds to renewable generation. Because suppliers all call themselves green, it is best to rely on independent assessments from Consumentenbond and Milieu Centraal, who judge real sustainability rather than marketing.
Is green energy more expensive?
A stubborn myth. Genuinely green power does not have to cost more than grey power or paper-greened power. Dutch wind and sun are now cheap sources, so a truly green offer is often comparable in price to a grey one. It pays to compare on both price and origin, so you do not overpay for power that is only green on paper.
Frequently asked questions
What is truly green electricity?
Electricity generated from renewable sources, preferably Dutch wind or sun. Your usage is then matched by energy actually generated sustainably in the Netherlands, rather than grey power greened only on paper.
How do I recognise grey power with certificates?
Check the origin. If a supplier buys grey power and calls it green using loose foreign Guarantees of Origin (GvO), it is greened only on paper. Truly green power comes from Dutch wind and sun and adds to renewable generation.
Which Dutch suppliers are the most sustainable?
The most sustainable suppliers generate as much of their own power as possible from Dutch wind and sun and do not lean on cheap foreign certificates. Independent bodies Consumentenbond and Milieu Centraal rate suppliers on real sustainability; use their latest assessments as a guide.
Is green energy more expensive than grey?
No, it does not have to be. Dutch wind and sun are now cheap sources, so a genuinely green offer is often comparable to a grey one. Compare on both price and origin.