Kennemerwind Cooperative

by Paul Gipe

Denmark has no monopoly on cooperatives. Many of the first wind turbines installed in the Netherlands were installed by coops, though conditions are far less favorable than in Denmark. One of the largest is Coöperatieve Windenergie Vereniging Kennemerwind. They operate ten turbines in all, nine of which are part of a group of 15 turbines along a canal in Noord Holland.

Kennemerwind has no bank loans or debt. It raises all of its capital from members, most of whom invest as little as 50 Euros, though some have invested as much as 10-15,000 Euros. The coop views its members' investment as a 15-year loan which is to be repaid. While the driving force behind the coop's 650 members is their desire to produce clean energy, Kennemerwind consistently pays an annual dividend to shareholders of 7%. Members can reinvest their dividends, and nearly all do.

From 1989 through 2002, the coop generated more than 15 million kilowatt-hours. With the addition of several new Lagerwey turbines in the mid 1990s, Kennemerwind produces from 1.5 million to nearly 2 million kilowatt-hours yearly, enough electricity to meet the needs of 500-650 Dutch households. During the life of the coop, the wind turbines have earned more than 1 million Euros.

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