Page 71 - European Energy Innovation - Autumn 2015 publication
P. 71
Autumn 2015 European Energy Innovation 71
DENMARK
by 2035, there is reason to making Denmark both richer, and focused investment in inter-
believe that the winds of change greener? connections and storage facilities.
that brought Denmark to the But it’s not all about supply: We
position it is in now have died For me, it is in itself an important must also embrace the visions of
out. With the recent electoral goal that Denmark’s energy the circular economy, and make
victory of the Danish centre-right, consumption will one day become sure that we limit waste and
the energy ambitions have been 100% sustainable, but there inefficiencies to bring down the
toned down. Rather than investing are also important economic, energy demand. The cheapest
in renewable energy, the newly structural and geopolitical energy is the one we don’t use,
appointed Climate Minister Lars considerations that my Danish and nothing is lost from taxi
Christian Lilleholt, has reopened colleagues tend to forget. drivers driving electric cars,
the plans for Fracking that the factories wasting less energy
previous government had seek to Firstly, the fundamental law of in their production or people
close, and Eva Kjer Hansen, the economics that a restriction in living in more insulated houses.
new Minister for the Environment, supply will lead to gradually We have come a long way, but
wants to allow the agricultural higher prices. Sure, the failures if Denmark is to retain its strong
industry to emit even more of the Emission Trading System position on energy, our focus
ammonia, again in stark contrast has resulted in a situation where should be on eliminating energy
to the previous governments coal often remains cheaper inefficiencies before turning our
ambitions to reduce it by 24% by than renewable energy sources attention to exploring new non-
2020. - not least because of a lacking renewable energy sources, whose
internalisation the negative energy we might not even need
Whereas Denmark’s renewable externalities associated with its in the first place.
energy industry has enjoyed production - but it is also a fact
many years of political tailwind, that the prices on fossil fuels have For Denmark, the future must
it now seems to have the wind in increased and will continue to therefore be a return to the past.
its face, and that is worrying for a increase in the future. Renewable We need more investment in
number of reasons. energy, however, is becoming renewable energy, more research,
cheaper and cheaper, with wind and higher ambitions for our
Firstly because the momentum energy, for instance, experiencing climate. We have shown that a
Danish policy-makers have been a ten-fold decrease in price in the strong focus on energy efficiency
building up over decades could United States in the course of the can reduce energy waste, drive
be lost. It has taken more than last 30 years. When we know that down energy bills for our citizens
40 years to arrive at the position non-renewable energy sources and create thousands of jobs,
Denmark is in, and if we deviate will become more expensive in and we must therefore not be
from the course, and return to the future, and that renewables distracted by the prospect of
non-renewable energy sources, will experience the opposite exploring energy sources that
we could arrive in the situation trend, it makes no sense, either are both environmentally and
that caused the transition in in environmental or economic economically unsustainable.
the first place, namely one in terms, to invest in the former. Wind is not a closed chapter in
which energy prices skyrocket, Denmark’s energy policy, but
forcing us, once again, to return It is of great importance that very much its future. The winds
to renewables. I cannot help but Denmark stay on the track it has of change that once placed
wonder: Why slow down in the laid. We need more renewable Denmark in the world’s energy
period where speed is of the energy, more wind-turbines, and elite must blow once more, and
essence, and why not just resume higher degrees of connectivity put Denmark’s energy policy back
the course that has contributed to with our neighbours, through on track. l
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
DENMARK
by 2035, there is reason to making Denmark both richer, and focused investment in inter-
believe that the winds of change greener? connections and storage facilities.
that brought Denmark to the But it’s not all about supply: We
position it is in now have died For me, it is in itself an important must also embrace the visions of
out. With the recent electoral goal that Denmark’s energy the circular economy, and make
victory of the Danish centre-right, consumption will one day become sure that we limit waste and
the energy ambitions have been 100% sustainable, but there inefficiencies to bring down the
toned down. Rather than investing are also important economic, energy demand. The cheapest
in renewable energy, the newly structural and geopolitical energy is the one we don’t use,
appointed Climate Minister Lars considerations that my Danish and nothing is lost from taxi
Christian Lilleholt, has reopened colleagues tend to forget. drivers driving electric cars,
the plans for Fracking that the factories wasting less energy
previous government had seek to Firstly, the fundamental law of in their production or people
close, and Eva Kjer Hansen, the economics that a restriction in living in more insulated houses.
new Minister for the Environment, supply will lead to gradually We have come a long way, but
wants to allow the agricultural higher prices. Sure, the failures if Denmark is to retain its strong
industry to emit even more of the Emission Trading System position on energy, our focus
ammonia, again in stark contrast has resulted in a situation where should be on eliminating energy
to the previous governments coal often remains cheaper inefficiencies before turning our
ambitions to reduce it by 24% by than renewable energy sources attention to exploring new non-
2020. - not least because of a lacking renewable energy sources, whose
internalisation the negative energy we might not even need
Whereas Denmark’s renewable externalities associated with its in the first place.
energy industry has enjoyed production - but it is also a fact
many years of political tailwind, that the prices on fossil fuels have For Denmark, the future must
it now seems to have the wind in increased and will continue to therefore be a return to the past.
its face, and that is worrying for a increase in the future. Renewable We need more investment in
number of reasons. energy, however, is becoming renewable energy, more research,
cheaper and cheaper, with wind and higher ambitions for our
Firstly because the momentum energy, for instance, experiencing climate. We have shown that a
Danish policy-makers have been a ten-fold decrease in price in the strong focus on energy efficiency
building up over decades could United States in the course of the can reduce energy waste, drive
be lost. It has taken more than last 30 years. When we know that down energy bills for our citizens
40 years to arrive at the position non-renewable energy sources and create thousands of jobs,
Denmark is in, and if we deviate will become more expensive in and we must therefore not be
from the course, and return to the future, and that renewables distracted by the prospect of
non-renewable energy sources, will experience the opposite exploring energy sources that
we could arrive in the situation trend, it makes no sense, either are both environmentally and
that caused the transition in in environmental or economic economically unsustainable.
the first place, namely one in terms, to invest in the former. Wind is not a closed chapter in
which energy prices skyrocket, Denmark’s energy policy, but
forcing us, once again, to return It is of great importance that very much its future. The winds
to renewables. I cannot help but Denmark stay on the track it has of change that once placed
wonder: Why slow down in the laid. We need more renewable Denmark in the world’s energy
period where speed is of the energy, more wind-turbines, and elite must blow once more, and
essence, and why not just resume higher degrees of connectivity put Denmark’s energy policy back
the course that has contributed to with our neighbours, through on track. l
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
