Collaboration for sustainable energy along highways

Together with Rijkswaterstaat and the municipalities of Eindhoven and Best, we have taken an important step towards sustainable energy. During a meeting, a cooperation agreement was signed for the Energy Generation on Government Property (OER) program. This program investigates how energy can be generated on a large scale on government land, for example along highways. With this cooperation agreement, the next phase of the project begins: the planning phase.

Why is this important?

The Climate Agreement states that by 2030, 70% of our electricity must come from sustainable sources. To achieve this, 30 regions in the Netherlands are working on a Regional Energy Strategy (RES). This strategy specifies where there is space for wind turbines and solar parks. Finding suitable locations is difficult because the Netherlands is densely populated and crowded. That is why we are looking at how we can double the use of existing space for energy generation, for example along highways.

What does OER do?

The government owns a lot of land and water, intended for social purposes such as accessibility and clean water. Some of this land is also suitable for energy projects. The OER program prepares these projects. In this way, we contribute together to the climate goals.

OER in Brainport 

The municipality of Best is the driving force behind the OER Brainport project, which focuses on the preparation of solar parks along the A2, A50, and A67 motorways. Together with the municipalities involved and Rijkswaterstaat, they are preparing a request for proposals from developers to realize these parks. In doing so, they are contributing to the national target of generating 2 terawatt hours (TWh) of sustainable energy in our region by 2030. Rijkswaterstaat, the Central Government Real Estate Agency, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, the province of North Brabant, the municipality of Eindhoven, and we as a municipality are also involved in this planning phase. In addition to these parties, the municipality of Veldhoven is also involved in the planning phase on the themes of grid congestion and financial participation. With this collaboration, we are taking an important step towards a more sustainable energy supply and a greener future. More information about the project can be found at: OER Brainport Rijkswegen | Energy on State Land