Sweden proposes a massive twenty-fold increase in wind

18 December 2007

The Swedish energy agency has proposed a massive twenty-fold increase in wind power generation. The agency says Sweden should aim to produce 30 terawatt hours (TWh) of power annually from wind by 2020, compared to 1.4 TWh. The figure would also represent a huge jump from an existing target to lift generation to 10 TWh annually by 2015. Meeting the target would mean increasing the number of turbines to 6000 from the 800 currently in operation. A third of the capacity should be based offshore, the agency says in a report. Achieving the target would require quicker licensing procedures, "a single access point to authorities" for investors, more ambitious compulsory quotas, government support for offshore development, and changes to power regulation in the national grid, the report notes. Early next year the European commission will propose new renewable power consumption targets for 2020 for each EU member state.

For more information, see Swedish energy agency press release.