Dutch government puts BES electricity rate matching above €36 million a year
The Dutch government says cutting variable electricity rates on Bonaire, Statia and Saba to the European Netherlands level would need more than €36 million each year.
The Dutch government said on Tuesday 29 September that reducing variable electricity rates on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba to the level used in its comparison for the European Netherlands would require more than €36 million in annual funding. State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations Eric van der Burg gave the estimate in a letter to Parliament responding to a motion by MP Don Ceder.
Using September 2026 prices and the euro-dollar exchange rate, the government put St. Eustatius’ variable rate at €0.3273 per kilowatt-hour, Bonaire’s at €0.4325 and Saba’s at €0.4737. It used a rate of slightly more than €0.22 per kilowatt-hour for a new electricity contract in the European Netherlands.
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The government said its comparison of annual household energy costs also includes natural gas used for heating in the European Netherlands. Based on 4,000 kilowatt-hours of annual electricity use, it estimated annual electricity bills of €2,166 on Bonaire, €1,745 on St. Eustatius and €2,331 on Saba, compared with more than €2,300 for electricity and gas combined in the European Netherlands.
The government said the €36 million estimate is based on present tariffs and is not a fixed figure for 2027. Its 2027 budget includes €3.2 million to address shortfalls in structural electricity subsidies and more than €12 million for electricity-system development in St. Eustatius and Saba. It also allocated €6 million for solar parks on Saba and €6.05 million for St. Eustatius.
According to the government, Saba expects to reach 90% renewable electricity by the end of 2027. St. Eustatius expects initial savings in 2027 after a new solar park is built, while Bonaire is expected to receive further 2027 support through Bonaire Bon Transition N.V.
File photo: Utilisateur:Bel Adone / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · cropped, SXM Today mark added
