URBAN LEARNING - Integrative energy planning of urban areas
Collective learning for improved governance

Amsterdam

The Dutch capital has some 800.000 inhabitants on a 220 km² surface. In Amsterdam 54.500 TJ of energy is used yearly, around 45 % of this is natural gas, 30 % is electricity, 20 % for mobility and 5 % is heat.  Around 35 percent is used by private households.

Per year 2.700 TJ of sustainable energy is being produced mainly from waste (71 %), wind (18 %) and solar (1 %).

The City of Amsterdam has set ambitious goals for improving sustainability, especially in the field of energy in the so called Agenda for Sustainability. Important key performance indicators are:

in 2020

  • 20 % more renewable energy per capita than in 2013
  • 20 % less use of energy per capita than in 2013.

in 2025

  • 40 % less

and in 2040

  • 75 % less CO2 emissions than in 1990.

Important means to these ends are investments in

  • an increase of connections to the city heating network from 60.000 to 240.000 housing equivalents
  • an increase of use of solar power from 9 Mw (2013) to 1000 Mw in 2040, and
  • an increase of power from  wind from 57 Mw (2013) to 85 Mw in 2020.

Other instruments to be mentioned:

  • sustainalyse existing housing through insulation
  • stimulate reduction of energy use by businesses.

In January 2016 Amsterdam has rexpressed its plans to build 50.000 new houses until 2025. These are mostly planned within the city ring on 12 locations.

See Amsterdam's approaches towards integrative energy planning at a glance.