We must accelerate the expansion of wind and solar - without compromising on environmental considerations

23. February 2024

It is not fruitful to set up the climate and biodiversity crises as mutual competitors, where there can only be one winner. Because the crises are connected, and they must be solved together.

Considerable political concern is expressed that environmental approvals and consideration for nature and biodiversity are a major barrier to the roll-out of renewable energy. This concern must be addressed so that consideration for nature and biodiversity does not have to become a stumbling block for the roll-out of wind and solar. Especially when we look into a future where the battle for land will intensify.

It is estimated that 130%-140% of Denmark's area has already been planned, where buildings, energy, agriculture and infrastructure often come before nature. A larger area must be set aside quickly for setting up wind and solar. In the Climate Agreement on green electricity and heat from 2022, the parties to the agreement agreed on a four-fold increase in total electricity production from solar energy and onshore wind up to 4.

Calculations from the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Supply show, however, that renewable energy only needs to be set up on a further 0,8% of Denmark's area in order to achieve a 4-fold increase in renewable energy on land.

In comparison, the SVM government has plans to plant new forest on an area corresponding to 6% of Denmark, while low-lying land from agriculture corresponding to 2,3% of Denmark is to be taken. However, legislation currently prevents or makes it more expensive to use these areas for setting up renewable energy.

Connected crises

One should not regard the two considerations of climate and biodiversity as a zero-sum game where there can only be one winner. Because the crises are connected, and they must be solved together.

If we are to turn the current loss of biodiversity into progress and at the same time ensure the green transition, there is a need for new legislation in the area.

In December last year, the government and a broad majority of parties in the Danish Parliament entered into an agreement to promote renewable energy expansion on land. The primary initiatives in the agreement are a framework for the establishment of large energy parks, more money for compensation to neighbors and local communities for RE expansion and relaxation of land protection for energy parks.

In the Green Transition Denmark, we believe that there are more ambitious levers to turn on, so that the climate and biodiversity crises are not set up as mutual competitors.

According to the Biodiversity Council, the current biodiversity across species, habitats and natural processes is not sufficient for the maintenance of biodiversity in the long term. Biodiversity should be integrated as a parameter in the legislation for setting up renewable energy - and other construction projects. This can mean a faster roll-out of RE projects, because delays from complaints are avoided, while at the same time biodiversity and nature considerations are taken into account early in the process.

A leg-strain for the installation of wind turbines is the Forest Act, which prohibits the forest owner from establishing facilities that are not necessary for forest management. Here, a distinction should be made between production forest and forests that are richer in biodiversity. Regulation should make it possible to set up wind energy in production forests, which could function as a source of income for the forest owner. In addition, the installer could be obliged to ensure increased biodiversity in the same production forest. In Finland, there is already good experience with setting up the tall, new wind turbines in forest areas, where the turbine rotates over the highest trees in the forest. This has helped make Finland one of the European countries that has accelerated the set-up of renewable energy on land.

It is important that citizens, municipalities and other stakeholders are involved earlier and wholeheartedly in RE projects. This can create a joint local anchoring of the expansion of wind and solar on land, while at the same time local knowledge can be utilized. In addition, local citizens should be invited in as shareholders, and in general the process of tenders and offers for setting up RE must be completely transparent and fair.

Until now, municipalities have had too few financial incentives to speed up case processing and say yes to renewable energy that covers more than the municipality's own consumption or meets the municipality's DK2020 goals.

Green Transition Denmark does not believe that by raising the compensation in Green Pool (where installers of renewable energy plants pay an amount per installed MW to the municipality) to 150%, these financial incentives are ensured, as it is still a lump sum. We believe that Grøn Pulje should be abolished and replaced by initiatives that provide the municipality with ongoing income, so that you are rewarded for setting up more wind and solar in the municipality and increases the local economy. The municipality should receive 5 øre per produced kWh during the lifetime of the solar cell or wind turbine. If we use the energy park at Greenlab Skive as a case, Skive Municipality will receive a one-off sum of approximately DKK 16 million through Grøn Pool, whereas Skive Municipality would receive just over DKK 9 million annually in our proposal. In the park's expected lifetime, it would lead to a municipal subsidy of DKK 279 million.

In the future, all renewable energy projects should be obliged to take into account consideration for nature and promote biodiversity, while case processing will be much smoother and more agile, so that expansion can go even stronger.

The debate entry is also published in Ingeniøren GridTech on 23 February 2024.