Swedish Onshore Fights Offshore

A group of Swedish onshore wind power companies have raised their voices against a separate new support system for offshore wind power. According to them, it is an expensive and unnecessary way to increase the share of renewable energy in Sweden, since the same benefits can be achieved through onshore wind power.

Arise, Swedish developer of onshore wind farms, along with other companies does not support a separate new system for offshore wind power, saying that Sweden has every opportunity to increase the expansion of onshore wind power. The new system’s opponents said the investment in offshore wind would increase the bill by hundreds of billions of kronor, which would ultimately be borne by Sweden’s electricity customers.

“A transition to a non-fossil fuel economy is of course desirable. Currently by far the fastest and most cost-effective road there is to continue to invest in Swedish onshore wind power. Yet it is imperative that Swedish policymakers quickly decide how to revise of the current support system for renewable energy, known as the electricity certificate system, and also decide to raise the level of ambition for the continued roll-out of cost-effective, non-fossil fuel electricity,” Arise and its fellow campaigners explained.

Image:  Tomasz Sienicki (The Lillgrund offshore wind farm in Sweden)