Oye is not shy about complicated transition

Schiedam – Great interview with Laetitia Oelette. She is a consultant on new energy in the district of Grunord in the municipality of Schiedam.

And she has been criticized by the Elder Party: As a former director of Eneco, she must – tacitly – enter into a conflict of interest, according to the criticisms of the Schiedam faction (see here). Criticisms that, incidentally, have been categorically contradicted by the college.

Titled “Mission Impossible Energy Projects for Municipalities,” Oyle in an interview with the NRC paints a bleak picture of progress made in the transition from traditional energy sources to sustainable sources such as wind and sun. According to the French-born economist, the government chose the most difficult path by opting for a decentralized approach, in which municipalities have to take the lead. In the interview, she says: “Requiring the municipality to come up with a plan that gives everyone a sense that they have been listened to, while not everyone feels the need for the energy transition and not everyone agrees on the approach is an impossible task. Municipalities really have many tasks, so they also have to come up with a plan The Energy Scene is widely supported with other municipalities in the Energy District.

Ouillet doesn’t know one, two, or three how it should be done. Fantastic, for my consultant on setting up a thermal network and the recent president of Windvogel, the Dutch “wind cooperative”. She is a staunch supporter of residents’ participation, but sees residents’ evenings being “hijacked” by opponents of change and finds it hard to sleep because of it. “Because all the time I have two thoughts in my head. When I was still writing Powerpoints about people whose feet were in the mud, I thought: ‘We have to talk to everyone.’ But now that I’m there myself, I think: Great, so much to expect from the people who work. in concrete projects. And: “Maybe you should say: The city council is a democratically elected body. They can designate a specific area for wind energy development. Then you can go door to door three times to hear from the people who are really facing that what their interests and demands are.”

What Quillet appreciates is that she doesn’t shy away from tough stuff and sleep-disrupting projects, as evidenced by her work as a self-employed person at Schiedam. The NRC asks her: “My official, looks like a job below your level” and then she replies: “I don’t think so – it’s a complex project.” On the situation in Grunord, where waste incinerated in Rotterdam must provide heat: “People find it strange that this waste plant is importing waste. [vooral uit het Verenigd Koninkrijk]. But this happens because a lot of waste is still buried in Scotland and England. That’s bad, these landfills release methane and that’s very bad for the climate. At the European level, it is much better if we import waste. If you take your time, you can explain these complex energy issues to anyone.”

The full interview with Ouillet is here to read.