In the media, we hear a lot about citizen resistance and that NIMBY is slowing down the energy transition. The Not In My Back Yard trend is described as a sociological phenomenon that arises in relation to a project where citizens initially have no objection to the construction of an airport, a shopping center or a solar plant, but they do not want it in their immediate area. Researchers, energy industry experts and politicians have said in recent years that NIMBY is slowing down and threatening the transition to renewable energy.

So what can we learn from the projects where people instead say yes to more clean energy, and even start up and run it themselves? What are their successes, drive, hopes and concerns? What barriers do they encounter and what are the consequences? What do they miss from the municipalities, the state and the companies? How can we grasp their ideas and wishes, and can it play together with everything that is going on these years at municipal and national level? And last but not least, what advice do they have for others who want to get started? 

In this report, we present a number of cases and look at their experiences, successes, challenges and good advice. The material has been created from interviews, research as well as presentations and discussions during our conference.

Not or yes in my backyard

Before we delve into the various cases, we must turn a controversial question. It is crucial for the climate that we stop burning coal, oil and gas and instead use energy from the sun, wind and geothermal energy. But renewable energy plants are taking up space and changing the landscape. So are citizens ready for that change? Different parties have tried to find out via opinion polls with different results.

A study carried out by Voxmeter for Region Southern Denmark in 2023 showed the following: 72 per cent. believe that politicians must do more to deal with climate change, and 71 percent believe that among the measures that politicians should implement is to invest more in solar and wind.

In March 2022, an opinion poll from the analysis institute YouGov was conducted for TrygFonden. The collection of responses took place during a period when the Russian invasion of Ukraine was between 22 and 31 days old and still in its initial phase. When people were asked what we should do to avoid dependence on gas from Russia, 74 percent crossed that we should expand renewable energy. About the same proportion say that it would like to have wind turbines in their own municipality.

In an opinion poll by Epinion carried out for the Alting and DR in 2022, 1089 voters answered whether they think wind turbines and solar cells are so important that they should be built - even if they damage nature and the environment where they are built. 36 percent think so. But 45 percent respond that they are against wind turbines and solar cells if they damage nature and the environment.

In the media, one type of story in particular takes up a lot of the debate, namely NYMBY and citizen resistance in connection with the installation of wind turbines and solar parks. It may be in connection with a citizens' meeting, where an energy developer has presented their idea for a solar park, which local citizens do not support.

In interviews, it emerges that the citizens do not feel sufficiently involved, that there is no transparency in the process, they are worried about noise and shadow return from wind turbines, and that the facilities destroy the landscape and nature and reduce the view and the value of their house.

In a debate paper, two researchers at DTU write that we know very little about how local opposition to wind turbines and solar cells can be turned into local commitment. And that it i.a. is due to the fact that, both at home and in the EU, considerably less research is done on the social side of the green transition than on the purely technical side. However, we know, according to the DTU researchers, that if the value from energy production is better anchored locally, then this results in fewer conflicts. We also know that it is crucial that people are involved earlier and more in the planning process than today.

The government and their NEKST committee believe that local civil resistance is a problem for the transition. The government has set the goal that we must quadruple the total electricity production from solar and onshore wind by 2030. And they believe that local support is crucial for the behavior and speed of RE projects. One of the government's solutions is to give people who live next door to the energy plants more in compensation.

All in all, we know that according to opinion polls, the majority of the population is in favor of more renewable energy, but at the same time, a number of projects have been met with so much opposition over the years that they have been abandoned. So what about the projects that have good local support, or that are even initiated by the citizens themselves? We will take a closer look at them now.

The citizen-driven energy projects

We have looked at different types of energy projects: Jointly owned wind turbines and solar cell systems, conversion to green district heating and so-called citizen energy communities. First you can read about three completed projects. Then we describe two others, which are in their infancy. And finally, we bring some experiences from two municipalities. The texts are based on our articles, which you can find on rgo.dk

The wind turbines in Hvide Sande

In Hvide Sande on the west coast of Jutland, three wind turbines stand on the beach and provide the town's 3000 residents with green and cheap energy. It started with the harbor being threatened, when the ships back in the early days began to opt out of Hvide Sande, because the harbor was too small for the large vessels. Instead, the ships sailed on to Hanstholm and Thyborøn. The price for an expansion was DKK 148 million. DKK, an amount far in excess of what the port itself could raise. In those years, Henning Davidsen was director of rental at the local tourist association, and according to him, it was crucial for the city that the port's life was preserved.

Henning Davidsen talked to the mayor of the new Ringkøbing Skjern Municipality and got an idea. The port could not establish wind turbines itself, because it was not possible with the Port Act at the time. But if the tourist association set up a fund that could operate the turbines, the fund could rent from the port, and the rental income could then help finance the expansion.

At that time, the so-called buyer's rights scheme existed, which was later closed down. Here, 20 percent of the investment and co-ownership was to be available to the people who live around the mill. Therefore, they set up a local mill guild in Hvide Sande and shares were offered to the local residents.

When the project had to be presented to the locals, 300 people turned up in the local hall to hear about the plans. Here, three people expressed their opposition to the wind turbines; a summer house owner, a house owner close to the mills and a local volunteer in Denmark's Nature Conservation Association. The latter made a complaint, which was ultimately dismissed.

With the project, the port received funds for the expansion, which was crucial for the future of the local community. The mills have financed DKK 80 million. DKK out of the total investment of DKK 148 million. DKK, which the harbor expansion with new piers and increasing the water depth cost.

Today, the citizens no longer have co-ownership, as they wanted to sell due to falling electricity prices. Hvide Sande Fjernvarme took over the turbines. With wind power, heat pumps and solar collectors, Hvide Sande Fjernvarme has reduced CO2 emissions by 94 percent. In total, 96 percent of the city's 3000 residents in Hvide Sande are connected to district heating.

Henning Davidsen, who for a long period was chairman of Hvide Sande Fjernvarme, wonders why more citizens don't get together and set up wind turbines, as they did in Hvide Sande.

“You get a completely different relationship with the mills. It's so human and that's the heart of it all. The fact that people could see that the wind turbines were for our local area, namely the port, and not just for an outside company. Many in Hvide Sande have also got jobs in the wind turbine industry," he says and continues:

"Later, the residents also got full value for money when it came to the energy bill. Last year they paid DKK 1.800 to heat a house of 130 m2. And this year, everyone will not have to pay the 4th installment of the heating bill, because it is going so well. It's simple psychology.” 

Sun over Brenderup

"There is nothing cooler than when a local community gets a wild idea that succeeds. You become somewhat invincible, and suddenly there are no limits to what else you can do. At the same time, we also gained a lot of respect within the municipality. Middelfart Municipality also won the National Association of Municipalities Climate Prize in 2022, and that was partly because of us," says Hans Christian Jørgensen, one of the people behind Sol over Brenderup.

In the North Funen town of Brenderup, the citizens have established their own solar cell system. The facility produces electricity that corresponds to a third of the city's energy needs. It all started during an idea development at a citizens' meeting, where the word solar cell plant was mentioned and noted on a yellow piece of paper. A few citizens went ahead with the idea and decided to apply for a pool that Energinet then managed.

First they went to the municipality, which found a piece of unused land that had been zoned for business. We managed to get a bank guarantee of DKK 250.000 from Middelfart Bank, which was a requirement in order to apply for the pool. They set up a limited company, called the project Sol over Brenderup, sent off the application and got the grant of ten øre per kilowatt produced for twenty years, which was expected to be 2,2 million kroner.

The entire project cost DKK 8 million, part of which was to be covered by publicly owned shares. They hired a company to handle and manage the project so that they did not have to bear that responsibility themselves. They bought the land from the municipality for DKK 1,5 million. kroner with a buy-back right of 30 years. With that agreement, the bank agreed to lend them the DKK 1,5 million. DKK, without them having to make a deposit themselves.

Next, 2,4 million was needed. in equity, and for that they created public shares at DKK 10.000 each. Everyone within Brenderup Parish could buy. Next, the company managing the project found a machine factory willing to be an investor, and then all the money was found. The plant was built, and on December 23, 2020, they turned on the plant.

If you ask Hans Christian Jørgensen why there was so much support, he answers:

"At the citizens' meeting, approximately 250 people had sat and clapped each other and said that we want something with the green transition. Everyone goes home talking to one or two. And then suddenly we have half the town's support. When I go to Brugsen, the town's local watering hole, people ask how things are going with the solar cells. Then you stand there. Everyone knows I took that note, and it obliges. And then you sit in the scissors - in the good way," he says and continues:

"We had calculated that we could make green electricity equivalent to a third of the city's electricity consumption. That's what drove us. It had nothing to do with wanting to get cheaper energy prices, because that was not possible then. So the phrase, what can I gain from this, I didn't hear at any point. It was about what we could do as a local community to participate in the green transition," he says.

Energy community Avedøre

In Filmbyen in Avedøre, Filmselskabet Zentropa, together with local citizens, institutions, consultancy houses and companies, have teamed up to create a local sustainable energy supply – a so-called energy community. Managing director at Zentropa, Anders Kjærhauge, had for a while considered the idea of ​​putting solar cells on their buildings, but had a bit of difficulty figuring out the price, the suppliers and whether it was a good time to do it. Then Zentropa chose to be connected to Energifællesskab Avedøre and found out that there were also plans for solar cells at the high school and some of the municipal buildings.

"By entering the energy community, we were given the opportunity for energy-related sparring in relation to offers and purchases. And it has clearly been an advantage that we could come together and place a larger joint order.”

The whole idea behind energy communities is that anchoring, co-ownership and partnerships across local communities are an important cornerstone in the future green energy supply. This is specifically formulated in an EU directive from 2020, which allows local and citizen-owned energy communities to produce, exchange, consume, store and sell their renewable energy from, for example, solar cells and wind turbines.

In recent years, the energy community has also initiated a number of other local measures such as energy efficiency improvement of several buildings in the area, rollout of district heating, additional installation of solar cells and wind turbines and establishment of charging stations. They want to become self-sufficient in green electricity in a few years - and to be able to participate both as a buyer and supplier of green electricity to the rest of the energy community. In addition, they are looking at whether the surplus heat from Zentropa's large servers can in the long term be fed back to the local heating plant and thus help to heat households in the local area.

But according to Anders Kjærhauge, there are some clear bumps in the road. Firstly, it was difficult to get the municipality's final permission to install solar cells on listed buildings. It took half an extra year of dialogue back and forth before Zentropa received a dispensation from the municipality at the end of 2022, which made it possible to go ahead and place the order for the solar cells.

Another hurdle that still stands in the way of scaling the Energy Community in Avedøre is that it is not yet possible here at home to share the power that is produced, either between Zentropa's own buildings or out to the rest of the energy community. According to the Zentropa director, this makes it unprofitable for them to set up more solar cells. This is something that many want to change, so that it becomes more attractive for co-operatives and public housing associations to put solar cells over their buildings.

"Why not use our roofs and parking lots to produce the green energy we need? And the roofs we have here are obvious, says Ander Kjærhauge.

Bornholm's Sea Wind

In 2019, 12 people on Bornholm came together with an idea. They wanted to do a project with coastal offshore wind turbines.

"People on Bornholm didn't think the turbines should be on land, where we don't have much space, but instead on the water. So we wanted to see if we could create a wind turbine project that could become the island's own," says front person Helle Munk Ravnborg, who has been involved from the start.

The project consists of either 7 or 9 turbines, depending on how big they will be, and must be set up off Nexø. The people behind the project are trying to hit 100 megawatts in total, because the turbines can then produce 450.000 MWt per year. It will cover current consumption on the island, even in 20 years, when everything has become much more electrified.

They have set up a citizens' energy community, where they will sell 450.000 shares at a price of approximately DKK 4000 per share. The shares can be bought by people from Bornholm. It can be citizens, small or medium-sized businesses, municipal or regional actors and associations. With the shares you get several advantages. If you are a member of the citizens' energy community, cooperative owner and electricity consumer on Bornholm, you will have the opportunity to purchase electricity from the wind turbines at cost price.

Bornholm Havvind is probably the most talked about citizen-driven energy project here at home. This is due, among other things, to the challenge with the open door scheme, which the Danish Energy Agency has put on hold. The scheme had otherwise been revised, so that it was previously supposed to make it possible for locally anchored groups to apply to establish renewable energy facilities in the coastal areas of the sea, for which the state had no other plans. The disqualification of the scheme is due to the fact that it could be against EU legislation.

"We want the scheme to be opened again for the coastal projects, as it was changed to in July 2022. The scheme was then to be reserved for coastal projects and for projects that had local support - just like ours. And it has been concluded several times, most recently in November 2022 – also by the Danish Energy Agency itself – that the scheme not involved so-called EU legal aspects," says Helle Munk Ravnborg.

Another challenge comes from the Climate Ministry, which has announced that there will be no room for the 7-9 wind turbines from Bornholm's Havvind with the marine plan. But according to Helle Munk Ravnborg, it is possible to make a sea plant supplement. After receiving a refusal from the Danish Energy Agency, Bornholm Havvind has complained to the Energy Complaints Board. She hopes to have an answer in half a year's time, stating that the decision must be changed.

For Helle Munk Ravnborg, coastal citizen-driven projects make a lot of sense. Many islands do not have much land for solar cells and wind turbines, but instead have stretches of coastline. At the same time, there will be a short distance from power production on the coast to power consumption inside the island, and this results in less power loss.

When the citizens themselves propose projects that help to convert our society from fossil fuels to renewable energy, according to Helle Munk Ravnborg, it is simply a question of supporting it.

"Small fish can sometimes move a bit faster than the big fish. So setting up a small project like ours of 100 megawatt wind turbines must be able to succeed much faster than any of the large projects that the state is currently working on. So in this way we can speed up the speed of the green transition, " she says.

Fjelsted-Harndrup District Heating

In the North Funen village cluster Fjelsted-Harndrup, a group of citizens has developed a plan for a common green heating solution to replace the town's many oil and gas boilers. As the city is far from the central district heating system, expansion with district heating will only be possible in 2030. That is why Elisabeth Tejlmand, who is a member of the city's local committee, together with a small group of other citizens, wanted to find a way for the city to scrap all fossil fuels and instead heat the homes with renewable energy. For her, it is especially about the city's future. 

"We have a utility, large associations and institutions, but how long will it last without a future-proof heat supply?" she says and continues: "Young people are interested in the climate, and if we make measures that reduce our CO2 emissions, it can make the city attractive to young house buyers. The hope is that in five years we can be proud of having a heat supply that is climate-friendly and cheap," she says. 

After Russia's attack on Ukraine last year, war, security, security of supply and energy prices are on the minds of many, including in Harndrup. When the heating group holds its next meeting, 90 concerned citizens who are insecure about the rising energy prices will attend.

With the help of an adviser from the Region, they are investigating the possibilities of creating a collective heat supply as a thermonet. They map the houses and type of heating in the area and estimate that they can convert 300 households that are currently heated with natural gas and oil.

They set up the association 'Fjeldsted-Harndrup Nærvarme', and reach out to the area's residents and get help from Middelfart Municipality, which can finance a project proposal through EU funds. The working group joins an engineering company and develops a plan that is ready today. 

The district heating project will cover three small villages Fjelsted, Harndrup and Fjellerup. The heat must first and foremost come from the ground via pipes that are laid in the roads, green communal areas and fields. The pipes must then conduct the heat into the houses and be further heated with heat pumps set up in each house and further into the radiators. The district heating project is set at DKK 45 million. So wouldn't it be easier if everyone just bought their own individual air to air heat pump? 

"If you look at who lives out here, it is far from everyone who can afford a heat pump for DKK 150.000. In our town, for example, the day care mother, the truck drivers, people in the service professions and pensioners. Therefore, it makes good sense to create a common heating supply for all citizens," she says.

Gelsted Fjernvarme would like to take care of the actual operation of the project. But it is unknown who will operate and finance the construction of the district heating itself. The project plan is currently with Middelfart Municipality. And like many villages that are in the same situation as Fjelsted-harndrup, they are waiting for a special clarification. Can the thermonet be considered collective heating in the Heat Supply Act? If so, you can apply for a municipal guarantee when you take out a loan from the bank. It offers lower interest rates and with a guarantee that if it fails, the government will catch you. The Ministry of Climate and Energy is investigating the matter. 

"It will mean a lot if it can fall under the collective heating category. Because then it will be easier to find a company that will be at the forefront of the project," says Elisabeth Tejlmand.

"Our area has the foundations to become self-sufficient in energy. If all oil and gas villages could become so, it would mean something for CO2 reduction and security of supply. It must also mean something in the big climate account.” 

Experiences from two municipalities

Lemvig

Local ownership, jobs and economy for the local area. If this has been taken into account in a wind turbine or solar cell project, there is a good chance that the local population will support it or at least not feel much resistance. This is one of the experiences that Steffen Damsgaard draws on when he has to explain how they in Lemvig have managed to carry out energy projects successfully. He is chairman of the Technical and Environmental Committee in the municipality, and in 2023 Lemvig won KL's climate award for, among other things, to have created local support for energy projects. He cites three examples:

"Here it was absolutely crucial for the almost 500 inhabitants of the town of Bøvlingbjerg, and overall just under 900 in the whole parish, that you could get local ownership and that it was a solar plant where you could buy a share at cost price," he says .

Solcellepark Høvsøre ​​was created when the local cooperative Jysk Energi, which is also behind the electricity grid in the area, proposed an energy park of 70 hectares of solar cells, where the population is a co-owner. Overall, 50 percent, i.e. 110 million kroner shares, bought at cost price by neighbors and locals in and around the town of Bøvlingbjerg in the first instance and then by the rest of the population in Lemvig Municipality. In addition, there is also finance that can be sought from the nearest villages and from the nearest neighbours.

A little further north, the world's largest production wind turbine at 270 meters – a 15 MW turbine – is to be erected right at the entrance to Thyborøn. According to Steffen Damsgaard, there has not been a single negative consultation response, which is due to the fact that it will be 100 percent owned by the local population in Thyborøn and the entire Lemvig Municipality. In addition to the subsidy from the government's Green scheme, there will also be a financial subsidy for the local area.

The third project he highlights is an area of ​​400 hectares where 275 hectares of solar cells are being established, fenced only with hedges and 100 hectares of new forest. Here they also create some small wetlands that lead out to a rare nutrient-poor lake, which benefits the environment and biodiversity. Finally, an extra path will be established, a lookout tower will be built in the area and some financial contribution will be made to the nearest small local community meeting houses.

Steffen Damsgaard is also chairman of the Rural District Council. According to him, there is generally a need for the energy plants to help create new development in the local area. He would like to see the government's Green Scheme instead turn into an annual contribution every single year for the entire lifetime of the energy plant. He fears that too much bias between who makes money from the energy projects and the local communities that have them in their backyard could have major consequences.

"In Lemvig Municipality, the companies that want to develop the energy plants offer the landowners 20-25.000 kroner per hectare annually for the entire lifetime of the solar plant. After all, it is up to 4-5 times the market rent every single year. The energy developers also need to work to create support in the local population, so that we don't get the yellow vests all over the country (referring to previous uprisings in France). If you just want to plow this down on the local population, there will be huge resistance," he says.

Barrels

In the autumn of 2023, Tønder Municipality, as the first municipality in Denmark, held two advisory referendums on solar and wind farms. Both votes ended with a majority yes.

"It showed that people actually want this if you have a proper process and listen to them," says mayor of Tønder Municipality Jørgen Popp Petersen.

According to him, new tools such as referendums are needed when renewable energy facilities are to be planned. He refers to the fact that virtually no wind turbines have been set up in recent years, and that this is mainly due to municipal councils around the country saying no due to protests from the local population.

"We have been in trouble, also in Tønder. With several wind turbine projects, we have stumbled upon the decisive decision itself. The projects had a political majority along the way, but when it came to voting, you couldn't mobilize it," he says.

“The referendums have worked flawlessly and without problems. I don't think it's a tool we should use in municipal politics in general – it's an experiment. In the end, of course, it is the municipal council that is responsible and must make some decisions, sometimes even against the will of some citizens.”

So a different approach was needed. When the 31 members of the municipal council sat down at the beginning of a new council term, they made a decision. They made a compromise with political guidelines where they have to test some unconventional new tools. And one of them is to make some indicative referendums.

Tønder Municipality is particularly known for calling for energy developers to offer at least 40 percent shares for sale in the local area.

"We try to keep as much as possible in local hands. We have also set up a non-profit association that covers the entire municipality, and that investors can also provide financial support to. Because we are doing ourselves a disservice if it is just the individual parish that gets 110 extra shelters and gold plating on the roof of the community center because they just got an energy park there. We will have to look at development in the entire area."    

"It may sound harsh to investors, but we have a society that has to function. If we continue as we have done so far, the local community will say no. At the same time, the state will come and want to build energy parks, and if they want to expropriate and dictate, then it will only end up causing a spectacle. So it really depends on how we handle the situation."  

Tønder Municipality has 21 projects in the planning process, and they consist of 105 wind turbines and 1600 ha of solar cells.  

What can we learn?

What can we draw from the experiences from Jutland, Funen, Zealand and Bornholm? When we ask citizens what it is that drives them to get involved and take initiative, it is about community, local ownership, the future of their city, the green transition, equality, economy and common sense. And that it gives a spirit and joy in shopping.

So it is not the words climate and climate struggle that stand at the top of their justifications. But regardless, we are talking about a wave of climate initiatives right down to the local level, which can result in a concrete energy transition and contribute to us lowering Denmark's CO2 emissions. And this is exactly what the EU wants much more of of. The EU will, among other things, happy to push for locals energy communities, like the one in Avedøre, where citizens, authorities and companies come together to share the power they jointly produce, for example via collectively owned wind turbines and solar cells.

How do they do it, citizens? It starts, for example, during an idea development for a citizens' meeting with yellow notes and space for all ideas. After that, a group comes together on an idea and works on it. Support pools for renewable energy and energy communities are being looked for. They contact the municipality and the region to find out who can help them. If you are lucky, there is also the possibility of support from EU funds. Several also go out and visit other local communities that have succeeded with energy projects to get inspiration. Some hire a company to make the project application, others do it themselves. Some succeeded in getting the bank to lend them money without having to give a deposit. They keep contacting politicians, energy companies, the local district heating plant and the bank.

It is clear that the projects come about because some strong-willed zealots stick to their feet and work on, despite opposition and lack of support.

Obstacles

As we hear from the various citizens, there are a number of obstacles that slow down citizen-driven projects. We will mention three here.

The open-door scheme, which has now been put on hold, has meant that Bornholm's Havvind has so far been refused permission to set up wind turbines outside Nexø. The Middelgrunden wind farm is also at risk of having to be shut down. The park has otherwise produced green electricity outside of Copenhagen for many years.

Both cases are about the fact that the open door scheme could be in breach of EU legislation. But there are also doubts about that. The rules need to be looked at again, because the projects are exactly what the EU wants and needs many more of.

In relation to the energy communities, another problem is at stake. The idea behind energy communities is that the members must produce, consume, share and store energy, be responsible for charging electricity-based transport and convert electricity into heat. But in Denmark it is not allowed to share power between buildings. This also makes it less attractive to install solar cells on the roofs of public housing and cooperative housing associations. In large cities where there is a lot of space, this is otherwise an obvious way to contribute by setting up renewable energy.

And finally, but not least, there are the challenges with the future heat supply in the villages that are far from district heating, and where many inhabitants have fossil oil and gas boilers. A broad majority in the Folketinget has set a target for the end of heating with gas in Danish homes in 2035. But for a number of villages there are long or no prospects of being able to get district heating. Some villages have taken the initiative themselves and propose thermonets, where geothermal heat is used and a joint energy solution is created. But the projects are expensive, and many are waiting for certainty as to whether the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Supply will decide that the thermonet can once and for all be seen as collective heat under the Heat Supply Act. Then the association or the project owners can borrow money with a municipal guarantee. Regardless, it will be necessary to look at the economy. Because if it is not to be the thermo network, what should the heat supply look like outside the district heating network? Individual heat pumps can be an expensive expense for the individual, and how do we ensure that landlords also get the boilers replaced with heat pumps in the homes they rent out? Energy poverty is not a word we often use at home. But last year, quite a few felt forced to move in a caravan or tent, as they could not pay the gas bill.

How to prevent local resistance

Citizen-driven projects cannot do it alone if we are to achieve our climate goals. When society becomes far more electrified in the future than today, there will be e.g. need electricity to make aircraft and ship fuel, the electric cars, electric trucks, the trains and smaller ferries. The factories also want to switch to electricity rather than fossil fuels. And this is also why the government is betting on being able to roll out large energy parks across the country. But here there is a risk of resistance.

Some of the things that drive the people behind the green citizen projects are also what seem to make a difference when energy developers propose large energy parks. In Lemvig Municipality and Tønder Municipality, it has been shown that the following help to create local support or reduce resistance: local ownership, support for the villages, finances for the municipality and a nature and environmental effort. The energy project must contribute to developing the local area. And there must be involvement right from the start. Here are a number of recommendations:

Lemvig Municipality, Steffen Damsgaard, Chairman of the Technical and Environmental Committee.

• Support for the nearest neighbours, the nearest local communities and the municipalities
• Support projects with local ownership and citizen energy communities
• Creates housing elsewhere if you remove someone to make room for wind turbines and solar cells
• Instead of a lump sum, the Green Scheme must be an annual, recurring contribution throughout the life of the energy plant
• Clear framework where the energy developers must also work to create support in the local population

Tønder Municipality, Jørgen Popp Petersen, mayor

• Ensure a political process with, if possible, cross-party agreement on the approach to new installations with renewable energy. When the politicians do not discuss and fight each other about the way forward, it also provides security among local citizens.
• Local ownership is important both for local businesses and citizens.
• The experiment with indicative referendums is, among other things, also to counter the usual signature collections, which can seem very provocative, because neighbors often do not want to take a public side for either wing.

Hints

If you as a citizen are considering whether you want to start a jointly owned solar plant, wind turbine project, green district heating or an energy community, here is some advice from the citizens we have spoken to.

• Remember, if we want to, we can
• Throw yourself into it
• Take hold of the municipality
• Visit others who have their own experiences. It gives one the belief that it can be done

• Get together and see if you can establish wind turbines or solar cells yourself, or buy shares in what is being planned. The more you own, and the more that goes to your own local community, the more acceptance you get
• Think outside the box and don't let yourself be limited

In relation to energy communities, e.g. as a company:

• Lots of patience. It takes time to join communities where many different organizations and people are included. When citizens, authorities and companies have to cooperate, it requires patience, and it will often be slower than if you as a company do something on your own.
• A long-term business case. It is not always upfront good business for a company to invest in renewable energy – as a company, you have to count on a longer repayment horizon.

If you would like to know more about
energy communities and how to
tackle it, Energy Communities has
Denmark made a handbook and others
materials. find it here.

In 2021, as part of the financial law agreement,
for 2022 concluded a political agreement on
disbursement of a smaller pool for support
af local energy communities from 2022-2025.

About the report

This report is based on research and interviews conducted in 2023 in connection with the 'Yes in my backyard' project.

The report was written by Helene Chéret, editor at the Green Transition Denmark. The articles referred to in the report were also written by senior adviser Anna Fenger Schefte and climate journalists Sofie Hviid and Søren Bjørn-Hansen. Senior adviser Julie Bangsgaard Abrahams has also contributed to the work, and Isabella Rosenberg Jørgensen has laid out the report.

Cover photo: Karsten Würth / Unsplash

Find all articles as well as chronicles and a video from our conference here: rgo.dk/ja-tak-til-vind-sol-og-groen-omstilling-i-baghaven/

The project is supported by the KR Foundation.

Contact
Helene Chéret, Editor
Helene@rgo.dk
Tlf: 3318 1940

Green Transition Denmark is an independent non-profit environmental organization that has advised on the green transition for more than three decades. As a green solutions think tank, we will deliver concrete, realizable and ambitious solutions that can accelerate the transition to an absolutely sustainable society.