The Zeekraal project has shown that established players have dominated the first phase of the development of the Regional Energy Strategy in Zeeland.
It also demonstrated that formalizing and specifying criteria in municipal policies leads to a better alignment between formal and informal decision-making processes in the realization of solar parks, and that energy cooperatives face various obstacles when they want to scale up. Furthermore, it highlighted the importance for farmers in Zeeland that government policies remain stable, and that consumers and suppliers can provide key incentives to adopt sustainability measures.
Citizens, farmers, and businesses
The Climate Agreement stipulates that a significant portion of renewable energy must be generated locally and be in the hands of citizens, farmers, and businesses. The team behind Zeekraal has examined how Zeeland municipalities, energy cooperatives, and farmers are involved in decision-making and the considerations they make in the process. It also looked into how participation in the formulation of the Regional Energy Strategy in Zeeland is structured. The final report can be read here.
