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Entire Dutch Rail Network to Run Only with Wind Energy by 2018

For a country who was sued by a group of citizens accusing the government of not being green enough, The Netherlands sure has a lot of surprises left in the drawer. For instance, did you know that renewable energies already run 50 percent of the country's railway system?
Entire Dutch Rail Network to Run Only with Wind Energy by 2018 1 photo
Photo: Railway Technologies
The fact they are one of the first countries in the world to have an elected parliament may have something to do with the ways they run the country. After all, it was governed as a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional democracy since 1848. In 2001, it became the world’s first country to legalize same-sex marriage. This is history, mind you, but what if we told you that in 2013, the United Nations World Happiness Report ranked them as the fourth happiest in the world?

Now that we know all these aspects, we should see their plans for a sustainable future with a different approach. According to Railway Technologies, the Dutch rail network will run entirely on renewable wind energy by 2018 under a new contract signed by power company Eneco and energy procurement cooperative Viviens.

Apparently, this will not only turn the country’s railway system into one of the greenest in the world, but the deal also has the potential to revolutionize how renewable energy is procured and utilized.

“What makes this contract and partnership unique is that a whole sector decreases its CO2 footprint enormously and sets an example for other areas to follow," Michel Kerkhof, account manager at Eneco, told the source. "Mobility is responsible for 20% of CO2 emissions in the Netherlands, and if we want to keep traveling, it is important that we do this without burdening the environment with CO2 and particulate matter. This contract offers all Dutch citizens the option to make a neutral climate trip, regardless of distance."

We can’t take their plans for granted, but if the Low Countries pull this off, then it’s safe to safe they will set a new example in terms of transportation and alternative energy.
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