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17 min Reading time We took a closer look at the election programs of the major parties to see their positions on solar energy. We limited ourselves to the parties that, according to the polls, are expected to win at least one seat – that’s already 16 parties! We didn’t come across many surprises, but hopefully it’s still interesting to compare the wise and less wise words from the different manifestos. We’ve followed the order of parties as they appear on the ballot. Disclaimer: we’ve done our best to summarize everything accurately, but we can’t guarantee we didn’t make any mistakes. For exact wording, we refer you to the individual party manifestos!
The largest party, VVD, says it wants to encourage solar energy for households and businesses. How? By "installing as many solar panels as possible on rooftops of homes and industrial buildings, while also promoting the use of (home and community) batteries to increase self-sufficiency, reduce energy bills, and ultimately aim for self-sufficient neighborhoods and business parks."
They don't mention the net metering scheme, but given that VVD voted in favor of phasing it out earlier this year, it's safe to assume they still support that.
D’66 welcomes "breakthroughs in photonics" that lead to "more efficient solar panels and new measurement systems for agriculture." Which makes us wonder: what exactly is photonics? Well, according to Wikipedia, it’s a scientific and technical field focused on the interaction between light (photons) and electrons (electronics). Good to know.
D66 also wants the EU to secure enough raw materials, production, and recycling capacity for critical products like wind turbines, solar panels, batteries, and hydrogen technologies, reducing dependence on countries like China. Like VVD, D66 doesn't mention net metering – unsurprising, given that the proposal to phase it out came from their party leader and current climate minister, Rob Jetten.
GroenLinks-PvdA wants everyone to benefit from solar energy. They plan to make this possible by "allocating additional funds to invest in solar panels for rental homes and low-income homeowners, making solar panels affordable for all."
Regarding the net metering scheme, they say: "Once people with low or middle incomes can also benefit from solar panels, we will start phasing out the scheme." They also want to make solar panels mandatory for large buildings, new constructions, and public buildings like schools.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger contrast: the PVV dismisses climate measures as nonsense. In their own words: “The PVV says: No way we’re doing that! The Climate Act, the Climate Agreement, and all other climate measures go straight into the shredder. No billions wasted on pointless climate hobbies, but more money for our people.”
Instead, the PVV wants:
Coal and gas plants to remain open
New nuclear plants
More gas and oil extraction in the North Sea
An end to CO₂ reduction efforts
Withdrawal from the UN Climate Agreement
Scrapping the climate fund and subsidies like SDE++
No wind turbines, no solar farms
Yet oddly enough, they do want to maintain the net metering scheme for solar panels. Could it be some PVV voters have panels on their roofs?
As a centrist party, the CDA wants a bit of everything. They support continued investments in wind energy (preferably offshore), solar, biomass, hydrogen, biogas, geothermal, and clean fuels. They also believe nuclear energy is essential and want two new nuclear plants, plus small modular reactors.
As part of the current government, CDA supports phasing out net metering: “Because the burden of rooftop solar is unfairly placed on people without panels, the scheme will be scaled back. There will also be a better incentive for households and businesses to align energy use with peaks in solar and wind production.”
The Socialistische Partij takes a more militant approach. They want to "launch an energy battle plan to permanently reduce household energy bills, with a focus on insulation, installing solar panels on rental homes, and better housing maintenance."
The SP wants to re-nationalize or localize energy providers to keep bills low and control investment in clean energy, including solar panels on all suitable rooftops with storage for excess electricity. They want to keep the net metering scheme.
While D66 brings up photonics, Forum voor Democratie treats us to a climate history lesson. “There is no climate crisis. The climate always changes.” They downplay the current warming trend and reject the link to extreme weather events.
As such, FvD wants to:
Withdraw from the Paris Agreement
Keep gasoline and diesel cars
Stop building wind and solar farms
Resume use of coal and gas
Reverse plans to close modern coal plants
Dismantle wind and solar farms to restore the Dutch landscape
Unlike the PVV, FvD does want to resume gas extraction in Groningen, though with generous compensation.
The Partij voor de Dieren wants solar panels on all buildings to become the norm, including all new homes. But they’re against solar farms on farmland or nature reserves – except near Schiphol Airport.
They want to keep net metering for those without panels, and phase it out for people who already have them, with respect for payback periods. Renters and low-income homeowners will get extra support so everyone can generate solar power and benefit from net metering. Self-generated electricity should be fed into the grid tax-free and at no cost.
ChristenUnie supports major investments in wind and solar. Though part of the ruling coalition and in favor of phasing out net metering, they believe it should still be worthwhile to invest in solar panels. They suggest including solar panels in the ISDE subsidy scheme to maintain fair returns.
Volt wants to phase out net metering quickly so that returned electricity is bought at a fair market price. They also want to mandate solar panels on all large rooftops, such as distribution centers, office buildings, and government facilities – instead of using green fields.
Their goal is for all Dutch electricity to be fossil-free by 2035, achieved through reduced consumption, solar and wind power, and more energy storage.
JA21, like PVV and FvD, resists the push for renewables. They oppose what they see as a "forced green lifestyle" and instead champion nuclear energy as the future source of electricity. They support building many small reactors, continuing gas extraction from Groningen, and keeping coal plants open.
The SGP wants less reliance on fossil fuels but thinks it’s unwise to fixate on a 55% CO₂ reduction by 2030. They believe the return on investment for solar panels should remain attractive and that people should be incentivized to use their solar power themselves.
They emphasize savings, recycling, innovation, and using energy sources and storage that rely on fewer rare metals.
Newcomer BoerenBurgerBeweging focuses on farmers, who “want to grow food or flowers, not become energy producers.” So no solar farms on farmland. Instead, BBB wants subsidies for solar panels on farm buildings and noise barriers. They even suggest “exploring whether small solar panels could be installed in guardrails,” since we have so many roads in the Netherlands.
Bij1 doesn’t say much about solar panels or net metering, but they believe in large investments in (new) sustainable alternatives. The transition must be income-sensitive, so lower-income households aren’t stuck with the bill.
Newest newcomer Nieuw Sociaal Contract aligns with CDA in wanting a diverse mix of energy sources, including solar and nuclear. However, they oppose solar farms on farmland or in nature areas.
