The Swedish Wind Energy Association (SWEA) has called on the government to confirm that upcoming compensation measures for municipalities will apply to both offshore and onshore wind projects. The request follows a report revealing that municipalities have used their veto to block 40% of offshore wind projects since 2019.
According to SWEA, 75% of onshore wind projects were halted by municipalities in the first half of 2024, and the vetoes on offshore developments could limit the potential for up to 44 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity production annually.
SWEA argues that the government's proposed wind power package in the autumn budget, which includes compensation to municipalities, must explicitly cover offshore wind projects. “The government's wind power package… needs to clarify that the compensation… also includes coastal offshore wind power,” said the association.
The association's report, titled Municipal Veto in the Maritime Territory 2019-2024, tracks how municipal vetoes have impacted 22 offshore projects, which span multiple municipalities. SWEA noted that 15 projects remain undecided, with final outcomes likely influenced by whether compensation for coastal offshore projects is confirmed.
Lina Kinning, SWEA's head of offshore wind power, emphasized the importance of municipal cooperation, stating, “Offshore wind power has the potential to contribute with large electricity production. Here, the municipalities have an absolutely decisive role in enabling that potential.”
SWEA's industry lawyer, Ina Müller Engelbrektson, added that compensation must be made permanent beyond 2027 to ensure municipalities have the necessary incentives to approve new wind power developments.
