An acid test for the country’s ambitions for power

The state is now proposing to give municipalities more power in matters related to wind energy development. This means more power and more challenges.

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local governments and Secretaries in the government party were among those calling for municipalities to be given more power in wind energy matters. Now they get their way.

On Friday 9 June, Parliament passed That wind power plants can no longer obtain a license from the state before the municipality adopts district regulations in accordance with the Planning and Building Code. It has been widely accepted. The municipalities have had more of the power they wanted, and now they must see that they are ready to administer that power.

It is a national, if not global responsibility that they must now balance. Reviewing the domestic nature, the need for local jobs, Norway’s national goals and industrial ambitions and international climate policy. It becomes a major responsibility for municipal councils across the country.

in two industries In western Norway, Høyanger and Årdal, the debate is now in full swing over wind energy. What separates these cases from a number of other wind power projects is the direct connection to industry – and this occurs in municipalities with a long history of using natural resources for energy-intensive industry.

It will be an acid test for national targets for new energy production. If good projects cannot be realized here, which take care of various considerations and lead to increased power production and to secure industrial workplaces, it is hard to believe that they will happen in many other places in the country.

in Hoyanger Zephyr, Evini and Hydro It has launched plans for a wind farm at Snøheia between Høyanger and Sunnfjord. In Årdal, Fred Olsen Renewables and then Hydro were launched Plans for the wind farm at Sletterust.

The project in Høyanger is planned to add one terawatt hour of new energy to the grid, while the project in Ardal has not specified the number. The background for both projects is clear: industry and hydro’s need for more energy.

At the same time that local people’s governments are now acquiring more power in these matters, national goals and ambitions are getting bigger and bigger.

It was launched recently Report to the Energy Commission Calls for a clear change of pace, the need to develop power on a large scale. A consequence for not doing so could follow Statnett believes that in a few years we will already have an energy deficit in Norway.

When you combine national climate goals with community electrification plans and ambitions for new green jobs, you can’t escape the fact that new energy has to be built, and a lot of new energy. In addition, infrastructure must be built that can transfer energy from areas with large production to areas where there are many people.

The state of wind impresses now In full swing as major campaign issues in both Høyanger and Ardal. The direct connection to the industry and hydropower needs means that the leading forces are becoming more positive. Here it is not only about creating new jobs, but also about preserving the very important jobs in rural communities.

Høyanger Mayor Petter Sortland (Ap) has long been opposed to wind power, but is now open to this because of the strong association with significant investment by Hydro in local industry and jobs. He himself describes the whole thing “Division Hell”.

Cases show need In order to clarify what local municipalities will use to develop a new force. The government has chosen to defer a land rent tax on wind power, an arrangement many hope will help municipalities say more – and thus increase local acceptance of wind power. In industrial municipalities like Ardal and Huanger, one might imagine that linking to local industry was a strong enough carrot.

Wind power will be a “hot potato” in many local elections this fall and in the years to come. Responsibility for balancing the various revisions has now largely shifted from national to local municipal councils. With more power comes more responsibility.

How well we build new renewable energy will be crucial to whether Norway will succeed in meeting its international obligations – and how many green jobs we will be able to count in the end. If you can’t do it in the historic industrial municipalities, it’s hard to see how you can do it elsewhere.