Denmark looks to overcome restrictions for onshore wind
Denmark looks to overcome restrictions for onshore wind | Windpower Monthly
The provisional agreement was made between Denmark’s major political parties, including the ruling coalition of the Social Democrats, Liberals and Moderates with opposition parties including the Green Left, Conservative People’s Party and Social Liberal Party.
It includes provisional plans to create 32 energy hubs in municipalities across the country that could see Denmark’s territorial provision for onshore renewables increase from 0.5% to 1.3%.
The deal would also provide compensation for communities that agree to allow land to be used for renewable energy developments, with funding of approximately DKK 2.5 billion (around €335 million) set aside for this purpose.
In a statement, the Danish government described it as a “big step forward” for its goal to quadruple electricity production from onshore wind and solar sources by the end of the decade.
Renewable energy group Green Power Denmark welcomed the provisional agreement as a move towards correcting years of stalled onshore renewable energy development in the country.
“Now we're getting started. But we must move on. Time and time again, we have seen cases which clearly show that our system is not suitable for the pace that the climate fight requires. Therefore, politicians should continue to work on removing barriers to green energy, ensure faster case processing and stop making it more expensive to set up wind turbines and solar panels,” Kristian Jensen, managing director of Green Power Denmark, said.
Questions remain
However, a number of uncertainties remain surrounding the deal and what its eventual impact will be, a spokesperson for the group told Windpower Monthly.
For example, the 32 areas cited in the government announcement were provisionally suggested by municipalities in Denmark but have not yet been confirmed.
“In reality, it will probably be fewer than 32,” the spokesperson said. They added that the agreement, which is expected to pass as legislation in March 2024, could face other problems.
“There are still things that are unsecured for this agreement when it hits reality. We are afraid that the other restrictions will overpower the agreement. If [Denmark is] going to meet our green energy targets we have to build beyond these areas too.”
A provisional map of the 32 areas suggested for new wind and solar parks published by the government showed that none were being proposed in certain areas of the country, including zero in northern Jutland.
This is due to the region’s lack of sufficient grid infrastructure, Green Power Denmark said, which currently makes it unsuitable. Improvements to the grid will also likely be required if Denmark is to meet its climate targets, the group said.
An early wind power pioneer, Denmark has seen little growth in recent years. The country currently has around 7.3GW of wind power capacity – of which 5GW is onshore – which generates around 50% of its electricity. Denmark is targeting a 55% share of renewables in its entire energy mix by 2030.
Related Knowledge Center: Offshore wind energy
Over the next decade, U.S. offshore wind power is expected to grow from a single 30-megawatt wind farm off Rhode Island to more than 2,000 MW of capacity along the Atlantic Seaboard. There are contracts for wind power off the coasts of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Virginia.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has estimated the United States has over 4,000 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind potential, enough to power the country four times over.
The growth in part being spurred by state solicitations, including in New York, where then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) set a commitment of 9,000 MW of offshore wind by 2035, and in Connecticut, where in June 2021, Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signed legislation authorizing the construction of 2,000 MW of offshore wind by 2030.
The offshore development is also being driven by an investment tax credit set to end in December 2019 and is equal to 12 percent of expenditures. U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Tom Carper (D-Del.) have introduced a bill to extend the tax credit for up to eight years.
The Interior Department has held eight competitive lease sales that resulted in 15 offshore wind leases over 1.7 million acres that has the potential for 21 GW of capacity. In February 2022, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management completed a bidding process that realized $4.37 billion for 488,000 acres across six lease areas in federal waters off New York and New Jersey.
Projects have also been proposed off the Southeast coast, off California and Hawaii, and for the Great Lakes.