The proportion of wind turbines that are stopped has increased sharply in Sweden. But the trend may reverse.

Mönsterås municipal councillor Anders Johansson (C) hopes so, who hopes that two concrete changes will turn the trend around.

The local population must be supported

He believes that it is about financial instruments that provide support to the local population that is affected.

• There must be compensation for the nearby residents, says the centre party.

He also wants to see that the municipalities that say yes to wind power get a clear financial carrot.

• And there must be compensation for the municipalities that accept wind power. The money that comes in from wind power production must end up locally, he tells Sveriges Radio.

Reduced from 57 to 22%

Investments in wind power in Sweden have been hit by major obstacles in recent years.

• In 2021, 121 works were granted permission in the first instance, while 454 works were refused. This means that only 22 percent of the works received permission in 2021, reports Tidningen Energi.

The newspaper presents the development of the percentage of wind turbines that have received permits in applications that have been decided in recent years.

2016 57%

2017 51%

2018 45%

2019 46%

2020 39%

2021 22%

Reindeer and species protection

• It is becoming increasingly difficult to expand wind power in Sweden. A problem is that many municipalities veto, not infrequently pressured by local opinion, states SR Kalmar.

Of the 454 wind turbines that did not receive a permit in 2021, 170 plants were stopped by the municipal veto before the environmental assessment could be completed. Of the 284 wind turbines that made it through to the environmental review, 139 were stopped by reindeer husbandry and 67 by species protection/nature conservation, according to Tidningen Energi.

Money very important

The previous government set up an investigation into strengthened incentives for expanded wind power, which is about compensating those affected by wind power expansion and creating incentives for municipalities to invest in wind power.

• I think that is very important. The money that comes in from wind power production must end up locally, says Mönsterås municipal councilor Anders Johansson (C).
• Today we know, for example, that the property tax ends up in Stockholm from these. Why should the tax end up in Stockholm when it is produced in Mönsterås municipality?
• And it is our citizens who take any disadvantages, he says to SR.