The Netherlands on Monday said it would activate the “early warning” phase of an energy crisis plan and lifted a cap on production by coal-fired power plants as it seeks to reduce reliance on Russian gas in the wake of the war in Ukraine. The Ukraine conflict has pushed several European countries to seek alternatives to Russian oil and gas. The Netherlands, which imported as much as 15% of its gas from Russia, is already buying LNG and cutting back gas consumption, but still may face a shortage this winter. “With these measures, less money will flow to Putin’s war chest,” Dutch Energy Minister Rob Jetten said at a news conference in The Hague to announce the moves. Germany’s economy ministry has taken similar action to lift caps on coal energy production. read more The Netherlands’ removal of the cap on coal-fired energy production […]