Reader’s letter This is a debate entry, written by an external contributor. The post expresses the writer’s views.
Wind power is a threat to natural values and natural diversity, writes Albert Berveling.
It is right that wind power is built in nature, in the same way as roads and cabins are. There are nevertheless three reasons why Berveling’s claims are no longer entirely correct.
There have been new, strong restrictions on how wind power can be built in Norway. All wind power development has now been required to map habitat types, red list species (species threatened with extinction), moss types and birds in the planning area. The investigation must be carried out using recognized methodology according to the current guidance from the Norwegian Environment Agency. The findings must be submitted to municipal councils and professional authorities before a decision on development takes place. It is unlikely that permission will be granted to build if it endangers endangered species.
The second is that Norway has 47 national parks and more than 3,200 other protected areas. This protection has been created to ensure that we take care of valuable nature; vulnerable plants, animals and nature types. The areas make up a total of more than 17 percent of Norway, which means that almost every fifth square meter in this country is protected. There are no plans to build wind power in protected areas.
For comparison, wind power’s planned area covers around 1.5 per thousand of Norway’s area. In other words, a hundred times as much land as goes to wind power in Norway is protected. One would not believe that from Berveling’s tone.
The third reason is that wind power saves nature. It may seem illogical, when wind power is after all built in nature, but the UN’s clear position is that solving the climate crisis is one of the best things we can do for nature. The UN environmental program UNEP writes (in a report from February 2021) that “renewable energy technologies such as wind and solar, along with improved energy efficiency in buildings and elsewhere, will be key.” In other words, wind power is a key technology for us to be able to preserve nature, according to the UN.
Norway is steering towards a greatly reduced power surplus until 2030. If we do not resolve this, we increase the risk of higher electricity prices and industrial workers being made redundant. In addition, Norway will struggle to reach the climate targets – a global effort to reduce climate emissions and save the planet’s nature. Wind power is the fastest, cheapest and most environmentally friendly way to ensure that we get enough power.
Berveling claims that wind power is “price driving”, “low quality energy” and a “threat to Norwegian industry”. This is nonsensical and wrong. Wind power gives us more electricity, and when the production of cheap, renewable electricity increases, the price of electricity falls. The Energy Commission confirms in its report from 2023 that increased energy production from wind power will have a dampening effect on electricity prices in Norway.
Today, wind power makes up about 10 percent of total electricity production in Norway, and about half of that is sold to industry on long-term agreements. In Heim municipality, the industry is currently asking for more wind power to save and develop jobs. The same is done by Hydro in Høyanger and Yara in Telemark, as well as Norsk Industri and NHO together with LO at national level.
