AMSTERDAM, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The Dutch state does not
have to compensate German energy suppliers RWE and
Uniper for the decision to close coal-fired energy
plants in the Netherlands by 2030, a Dutch court ruled on
Wednesday.
RWE owns two of the current four coal-fired energy plants in
the Netherlands, and Uniper one.
Both filed lawsuits last year to seek compensation for the
Dutch government's 2018 decision to ban the use of coal in
electricity generation this decade, shutting all coal-fired
plants by 2030.
But the court said the government had acted in good faith,
as it sought to reduce CO2 emissions in the Netherlands in line
with European climate goals.
RWE and Uniper could have expected the announcement given
the relatively high levels of CO2 emitted by the plants, the
court said, and were also given time to adjust to the plans and
seek ways to transform their plants to more sustainable sources
of energy.
(Reporting by Bart Meijer
Editing by Mark Potter)