Danish government presents plan to use only renewable energy sources by 2050

Nov. 29, 2011 - BBC Monitoring European - pro.energycentral.com

In the future it will become more expensive for Danes to turn on the light and turn up the radiator. Because the government wants to spend 5.6 billion kroner to make Denmark's energy more green and climate-friendly. And the bill should to a large extent be paid by households and businesses.
The extra bill for the Danish households will be an average of 1,700 kroner in 2020.

This is evident from the government's energy initiative "Our Energy," which Climate and Energy Minister Martin Lidegaard (Social Liberal) presents today.

The government's overarching goal is that in 2050, a little less than 40 years, Denmark should have an energy and transportation system that is based on 100 per cent renewable energy. The energy initiative should be seen as a step on the way to accomplishing that objective.

The not quite 6 billion kroner are to be spent so that businesses and households can invest in energy savings, and so that electricity and heat production can gradually be converted to renewable energy.

Meanwhile, the transportation sector is to be converted to using renewable energy - in the long term to using electric cars, while increased use of biological fuels is a solution in the short term, according to the government.

Government Seeks a Broad Agreement

Climate and Energy Minister Martin Lidegaard wants to start concrete negotiations with the Folketing parties quickly.

The energy plan stretches all the way to 2020, and that is why it is important for the government to get a broad agreement, as has been traditional in Danish energy policy for several decades.

If the Liberal Party and other opposition parties are part of the agreement, the Danes and the businesses will have the certainty that their terms will not change if Lars Lokke Rasmussen becomes prime minister once again.

The Plan To Create Thousands of New Jobs

At the same time there will be no change in the billions of investments in green energy, which according to the plan should create 900 extra jobs in 2012 and 5,500 more jobs in 2013.

However, the stage is set for difficult negotiations beforehand. Because the Liberal Party only wants to use 3 billion kroner for renewable energy and more effective energy use.

The largest opposition party also wants the new energy compromise not to make it more expensive to be a Dane or reduce the competitive ability, so Denmark risks losing jobs.