280 wind turbines and 6.4 million solar panels
The new Flemish Energy Minister Bart Tommelein (Flemish liberal) has presented the government's new energy plans for 2020. Flanders aims to increase solar energy production by one third, and wind energy by almost 40 percent by 2020, compared to the situation in 2014. In order to achieve this, 280 new wind turbines will be erected, and 6.4 million solar panels should be installed. "It's an ambitious plan, but difficult is not impossible", Tommelein told the VRT.
Flanders wants to get 10.3 percent of its energy from renewable sources to meet sustainable energy targets. Tommelein's administration has calculated what should happen to achieve this. The government is focusing on solar energy and wind energy.
Flanders will launch so-called cheap energy loans as an incentive towards members of the public to invest in either solar panels or wind turbine projects. "If every Fleming would install one solar panel, we would meet our solar energy target tomorrow", Tommelein explained. "Our plans are ambitious, but not unrealistic. We have no time to lose, which is why the Flemish government has already approved changes for these energy loans."