Page 70 - European Energy Innovation - Autumn 2015 publication

Autumn 2015 European Energy Innovation

DENMARK

Denmark’s Energy Policy:
Winds of change?

BY Morten Helveg Petersen, MEP: Vice Chair, ITRE committee (pictured)

Denmark has long been known as a frontrunner on environmental issues, but with the recent change of
government, that position seems threatened.

Denmark has a lot to be
proud of with regards
to its energy policy:
We are self-sufficient,
on average 40% of our energy
comes from windmills - recently,
a strong wind meant that wind-
energy accounted for 140%
percent of the Danish energy
consumption.

None of this has happened
by chance: When the oil crisis
hit Denmark in 1973, the
government made a bold move
to ensure Denmark’s energy
independence, imposing strict
requirements on energy efficiency
and boosting our efforts in the
then relatively unknown energy
source of windmills. It paid off!
Not only is Denmark’s housing
stock now among the most
energy efficient in the world;
we also host some of the world
biggest companies within the
fields of heating, insulation and
wind energy.

I say this, not to boast about
our achievements, but because
there is an important point
to this: Denmark’s example
illustrates perfectly that there is no
contradiction between economic
growth and high ambitions on
energy and the environment.
In fact, Denmark’s growth over
the last 20-30 years, to a wide
extent happened not in spite but
because of our green ambitions
- a point that is often forgotten in
today’s debate on the climate.

Although it is still the goal that the
turbines should provide 84% of
Denmark’s energy consumption

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