In a report published by PricewaterhouseCoopers today, 72 directors of energy and utility companies warn that powercuts will start to occur frequently in Europe and the US. The is caused by the constant rising demand for energy (84% increase between now and 2035), and an out-of-date infrastructure. The replacement of this infrastructure will bring with it high costs, and energy companies doubt whether this will be affordable. Moreover, the longer politicians take to discuss the contents and implementation of the necessary overhaul, the larger the problem becomes. A second conclusion of the report shows that the share of fossil fuels in energy generation only decreases from a current 66%, to 57% in 2030. This despite investments in wind, solar and biomass energy.
Furthermore, the report states that The Netherlands is likely to be affected by power outages, and problems can be expected to arise in the short term. The Netherlands is partly dependent on Germany for the delivery of electricity, and Germany has decided to close its nuclear power plants this year following the Fukushima disaster. This means that a larger share of electricity will need to be supplied by the wind mill parks in northern Germany. These provide less power than the nuclear plants, on a more irregular basis, and power is transported over longer routes. It is thought this may start to present problems for The Netherlands as soon as Christmas this year.