– Wind power neighbors must be left with much more
The government must be in the process of working out changes in the tax and levy system that will provide greater income for wind power municipalities.
But what is not part of the debate about building wind power on land in Norway today is compensation for affected neighbours, pointed out the Trønderenergi boss.
– Those in the local environment who are opposed to expansion are those who risk, for example, reduced housing values. The costs that come from living near the wind turbines, they must be better compensated.
Gjersvold maintained that in e.g. England and Denmark, affected neighbors of wind farms are compensated to a far greater extent than is the case in Norway.
– In Denmark, the neighbors are co-owners of the wind farms, while in England the neighbors get compensation just when they see a wind turbine, said Gjersvold.
– Working with those who live near the wind farms is at least as important as working with the municipality. We would like to compensate the municipalities more, and that is good. But we must solve the challenges for those who live close to the plant and what they feel on their bodies. Because this is absolutely legitimate for them to feel, he continued.
In Denmark, for example, Jysk Energi has launched three renewable projects, one solar project and two wind power projects, where affected neighbors are allowed to buy up to 50 percent of the project.
– There has not been a single complaint from the neighbors for each of these projects, said managing director Lars Naur of Jysk Energi recently to Danish Energiwatch.
– Needs more wind
Gjersvold also maintained that there is very little hydropower potential left in Norway, and that the Water Directive will result in a loss of water that can be used for power production.
– Onshore wind power is the cheapest form of power to develop, and solar is also on the way. It is not good economics for either society or businesses not to develop the cheapest technologies.
The offshore wind investment can be large in Norway, but it will quickly take 10 years before you get significant volumes, pointed out the Trønderenergi boss.
– And if it takes 10 years for offshore wind to arrive, then we have to develop more wind power on land, said Gjersvold.