Technology in the energy sector has always received a lot of attention. This can be traced to the many technological innovations that have taken place in the past decades. The development of technology is especially geared towards increasing efficiencies and lowering emissions. Due to liberalisation, the attention of energy companies has shifted towards the developments in the market. The important issue there will be the lowering of costs, because technologies that cannot be maintained in the market risk disappearing.
Technology is also important from the environmental point of view.
The government strives to save energy and needs to comply with international agreements regarding greenhouse gases. The interests of market parties and the government can therefore conflict with one another in a liberal energy market. This third part of 'Energy Market Trends in The Netherlands' illustrates this phenomenon on the basis of two subjects. A brief overview of characteristics of technologies used in the energy market will be followed by a discussion of the future of Dutch coal-fired power plants. Replacement of coal with natural gas would mean an appreciable reduction in greenhouse gases.