Annual programme
The Energy Council drafts an annual agenda, containing the issues that it wants to concentrate upon that year. Four topics have been determined for this year's agenda: fuel mix, innovation, biomass and mobility.
Other matters can be added to this list, as demanded by virtue of their topicality.
Fuel mix
At the request of the Minister of Economic Affairs, the Council will examine what the best mix of energy sources will be for the Netherlands. Now that the supply of oil from an ever-increasing number of regions around the world appears to be becoming precarious, the Council is investigating how best to distribute the risk to the energy supply.
Innovation
The Minister of Economic Affairs has also asked the Council to investigate how knowledge pertaining to new technology for sustainable energy can be better shared and disseminated. The Energy Council is doing so in conjunction with representatives of other innovative sectors.
Biomass
The Energy Council also wants to examine the significance of fuel extracted from plants (biofuel). There are still widely divergent opinions when it comes to assessing the importance of this new form of energy-extraction, and the Council wants to examine - on the basis of existing figures - to what extent biofuel could contribute internationally and nationally.
Mobility
About one-fifth of 'greenhouse gas' carbon dioxide emissions in the Netherlands result from traffic.
This sector must also make sacrifices in order to meet international agreements on the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. The question of how to go about this is a complicated one, which touches on many areas of government policy. That is why the Energy Council, together with the Council for Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (the VROM Raad) and the Council for Transport, Public Works and Water Management (Raad voor Verkeer en Waterstaat), is investigating the possibilities.
The Minister of Economic Affairs and the State Secretary for Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment requested such an investigation.