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EnergyPortal also participates in energy conferences and debates. On Saturday, 10 June 2006, the annual alumni reunion of the University of Amsterdam took place. This day consists of lectures and debates about topical issues from both the academic world and the wider society. Arthur van Benthem participated on behalf of EnergyPortal in the debate "Addicted to oil and gas", together with Professor Coby van der Linden (director of the International Energy Programma, Clingendael Institute of Strategic Studies), Professor Jan-Willem Velthuijsen (Environmental and Empirical Economics, partner PriceWaterhouseCoopers) and Mr. Ronald Blom (CEO ENECO Holding B.V., one of the largest Dutch utilities). Marcel Hulspas (science journalist) was the moderator of the debate.

There was considerable interest for the debate. Because the audience kept asking questions to the forum, it became more a debate between the audience and the speakers rather than among the speakers themselves. The many questions once again illustrated how much the general public is interested in the problems of the energy system, but at the same time it revealed that a lot of misperceptions persist.

Some of the topics discussed during the debate - focused on renewable energy - are summarised in this review. The initials indicate the speaker who elaborated most on the topic.

When will oil reserves be depleted?

There was a broad consensus in the panel that fossil fuels will remain available for most of the 21st century, and stories around peak oil are somewhat exaggerated. People often have misperceptions about the physically recoverable oil reserves (CvdL). The amount of available oil does not only depend on physical presence, but also on technology and price. The price will increase further as the demand from Asia keeps growing. This not makes renewable energy more attractive, but also the unconventional and CO2 intensive oil sands (JWV).

What are the best alternatives for oil?

Although there is currently a great deal going on in the renewable energy sector, renewables form a really small part of the global energy mix (1-2 percent). Many scenario planners think that even in 2050 the share of renewables will be at most 25% of total primary energy. In the short run, saving a few percent of energy is much more substantial than all the small solar energy projects added together. Also, carbon capture and storage (pumping CO2 in, for instance, depleted natural gas fields and keeping it there until climate change is history) is a promising technology that needs much more investment. On the medium term, large-scale wind turbines (capacities exceeding 5 megawatts) are promising, while on the long run next generation solar cells will be the future (AvB).

What should the government do?

If European citizens wish to further expand the use of solar and wind energy, governments must keep supplying subsidies. The only reason that commercial entities are currently building offshore wind farms is the additional incentives provided by national governments (RB). Incentive programs for renewables are effective only if there is a fair market price for CO2 (JWV). In this light, the long term development of carbon emissions will be very sensitive to the character of the post-2012 possible continuation of the Kyoto Protocol (AvB).

Should a small country like the Netherlands split its energy companies?

The European Union mandates that energy companies unbundle (this means: sell) their transportation network and their distribution network. In a small and relatively liberalised country such as the Netherlands, this creates even more small players while other European countries are doing exactly the opposite. In Germany, France and Spain there have recently been large mergers, contrary to the spirit of the European Gas Directive. The market for energy is more European than national, and from this perspective it is ridiculous to split small companies in small countries (CvdL). Dutch utilities will not be able to compete with European majors such as E.On Ruhrgas, RWE and Gaz de France (RB).

What are the constraints for renewable energy?

Both solar and wind energy generate electricity that is difficult and expensive to store. Batteries or hydrogen are possible solutions, but unfortunately still something for the future because of the very high costs (JWV). Another problem is the unpredictability of wind energy, and the low occupation rate (between 25 and 30 percent). Also, the raw materials required (steel for wind turbines, silicon for solar cells) could become constrained in the future and, on top of that, is not CO2 neutral (RB). Another important constraint/misperception is the desirability of biofuels. First of all, growing crops for bio-energy is very energy and water intensive so the actual CO2 reduction is only 20 to 40 percent. Second, in tropical countries there is increased deforestation because of oil palm plantings in the rain forest. If people really know what it is they refuel their cars with, they would not have the same "feel good" experience. Another big issue is that the amount of land required to meet the current demand for gasoline is beyond all reasonable proportions. That does not mean there is no room for bio-energy, because using existing waste streams would be an excellent opportunity. Also, there is a second generation biofuels under development (AvB).

The audience also asked questions about the desirability of large solar plants in the Sahara desert, the adverse impact of low bio-diverse forests to compensate for CO2 emissions, the reasons for large energy companies to invest in renewables (and: do they have an incentive to block developments?), and why the world does not switch to hydrogen if it is technically possible.

Looking back at the debate, the session has brought many important issues from the energy world close to the general public.