Anita Rønne

Wind Energy and the Law: A Comparative Analysis

Wind energy as a renewable energy source attracts considerable interest in the climate change debate owing to its potential to reduce CO2 emissions. Its development, however, faces a number of challenges that depend not only on the physical, political and economic conditions, but also on the legal framework regulating, among other issues, jurisdictional, planning and environmental aspects as well as access to the resource, grid and market. This article provides a comparative analysis of the development of wind energy in selected countries. It identifies a number of regulatory challenges in the specific environmental and energy law fields and points to the necessity of an adequate balancing of positive as well as negative effects of wind energy.

Renewable Energy on the Market—a Danish Perspective

Danish development of renewables and especially of wind energy has been a political and commercial success story. There has been a consensus on prioritising green energy and in 2003 the goal corresponding to 20 per cent of Danish consumption of electricity was achieved. Moreover, approximately half of all wind energy turbines installed globally are produced by Danish manufacturers. Further developments are foreseen, most of which are expected to come from offshore wind turbines. Long-range planning, along with pricing policies and purchase obligations, have been important tools, combined with tax exemptions and heavy state funding provided for research. As of 1 January 2005, consumers are buying electricity solely on market conditions. Renewable energy will still receive subsidies but these will be granted as a price supplement to the market price.

Sharing the Costs and Benefits of Energy and Resource Activity: a new book by SEERIL’s Academic Advisory Group

This article summarises research in the field of energy and natural resources law, on the subject of the sharing of costs and benefits between developer companies, governments and local communities. It addresses a new phase in the sharing of costs and benefits that is readily discerned in many countries worldwide, and which compels a shift in thinking that is centred more traditionally on environmental and resource royalty regimes.

Electricity Reform in Denmark

On 3 March 1999, the Danish Government concluded an agreement with the major opposition parties on the legislative reform of the electricity sector. This agreement was the result of several months of political debate and it outlines the framework of new legislation defining the future organisation of the electricity market, its openingup and how to protect environmental considerations in a way and combination that has not been seen before. The agreement has now been implemented in five new Acts which were passed by Parliament on 28 May 1999, following a very fast parliamentary process of only one month. The main Act is a new Act on Electricity Supply, but an interesting element is the introduction of a new Act on C0 2 Quotas. Before presenting further details on the reform and its various elements, a brief description of the current Danish electricity sector will be helpful to the reader.