The next phase of wind power development should be concentrated to a greater extent in Austafjell’s “already industrialized area”. This was said by the head of Energi Noreg, Knut Kroepelien, during the Kraft i Vest conference in Sandane this week. The rationale is that “the environmental costs have already been incurred, and that the licensing processes should therefore be able to go faster”. – Onshore wind power is the fastest power source to realize, and much of it can easily be produced close to existing grid infrastructure and where consumption takes place, provided that the wind conditions allow it, says Eivind Heløe, who is director of renewables at Energi Noreg. He adds that the advantage of wind power in Austlandet “must be weighed against some obvious disadvantages”. – For example, industrialized areas are often close to the population. SWEDEN: – We have to look at our own area where there is already infrastructure, and then we don’t need to look any further than Sweden, says MDG leader Arild Hermstad. Photo: Snorre Tønset / Snorre Tønset/news – No reason to believe that easterners will be more positive Energy policy spokesperson in Raudt, Sofie Marhaug believes that lack of local acceptance will be as big a problem on the east side of the mountain as in the west. – I have no reason to believe that easterners will be more positive about wind power development than westerners, she says. She calls the signal “a recipe for repeating old mistakes” and that it is now “the archipelago in the Austlandet that is in charge”. – You just have to take a look at the old framework plan for wind power, and you will see it, she says. The national framework for onshore wind power from 2019 identified 13 areas as “best suited for the development of wind power”. The plan was originally supposed to be a conflict mitigation measure, but in practice the opposite was the case. Particularly controversial was the map (see below), which was interpreted as meaning that large parts of western Norway would soon become a continuous wind farm. Prime Minister Erna Solberg therefore chose to scrap the plan. Norwegians have become more positive about wind power After the retreat in 2019, there was a political consensus to take a break in wind power development. But this spring, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) announced that he wants more wind turbines in the country, and that this will be politically possible given “more thorough processes” and greater local involvement. This week, a new survey from the Cicero Center for Climate Research showed that Norwegians have become more positive about wind power in the past year. Now 39 percent are positive, while 34 percent are negative. Lars Haltbrekken (SV) says “the time for large wind power developments in nature must be over”, but that “smaller developments in connection with industrialized areas is something we definitely have to look at”. MDG leader Arild Hermstad also looks east, but even further. All the way across the border: – We have to look at our own area where there is already infrastructure, and then we need look no further than Sweden, which is good at exploiting opportunities for wind power without destroying nature. – I like to believe that a long country like Norway has enough nature for us to do this in a gentle way, says Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB – Must not be limited to Austlandet or other industrialized areas – Right now I am in Finnmark, and here there are many municipalities that want to make arrangements for wind power, says Nikolai Astrup, who is energy policy spokesperson in Høgre . He therefore concludes that the new wind power investment must not be limited to Austlandet or other industrialized areas. Finance Minister Jan Tore Sanner (H) last year introduced a tax on onshore wind power of 1 øre per kWh. The fee is calculated to provide NOK 165 million a year, and is planned to “appease the host municipalities”. The head of Motvind, Eivind Salen, calls wind power “a dead end”, either he comes on the east or west side of the watershed. – The consequences of wind power are worst in untouched nature, but it is not the case that the problems of wind power disappear near industrialized areas, he says.
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The industry believes it is easier to build wind power in the East than in the West – news Vestland
