In February 2008
the Danish government signed a broad-ranging energy agreement that
ensures the development of renewable energy, increased energy
efficiency and more research into energy technologies
On 21 February 2008 the Danish government entered into an energy
agreement with all parliamentary parties except the Red-Green
Alliance. The agreement guaranteed the best conditions for wind and
other renewable forms of energy, such as biomass and biogas.
The parties agreed that renewable energy in 2011 will account for
20 percent of Denmark's energy consumption. In addition to raising
the transfer price of power from the country’s wind turbines,
biomass and biogas, parties agreed to construct 400 MW of new
offshore wind turbines by 2012. The agreement also covered the
creation of a compensation scheme for people living near wind
turbines, a purchasing rights scheme, a green scheme and a
guarantee fund.
Ambitious energy conservation measures include: a drop in energy
consumption of four percent by 2020 compared to 2006. Hydrogen
fuelled cars will be tax-free, as will electric cars, provisionally
up until 2012, and a pool of DKK 35 million is to be set aside to
cover research into electric cars. For research into solar and wave
power etc., a further DKK 25 million is to be set aside each year
for the next four years.
As part of the energy agreement the government, the Danish People's
Party and New Alliance at the same time entered into an agreement
to increase biomass use and to ensure a wider choice of fuel in
central power plants.
Legislation
The Minister of Climate and Energy
has six bills and one decision, as well as political statements on
both climate and energy policies to present to the parliament for
the legislative programme for the year 2009-2010. The Minister
plans, for the parliamentary year, to propose the following laws
and statements:
- Amendments to the law on CO2 allowances and the law on
promotion of renewable energy (Regulation of allowances in air
traffic and extension of the scrapping scheme for windmills) (Oct
I)
- Amendments to the law on promotion of savings in the
consumption of energy, the law on state subsidy for product aimed
energy savings and the law on taxes on electricity and repeal of
the law on ‘Trust” (Elsparefonden) (Creation of the Center for
Energy Savings etc.) (Oct I)
- Parliament decision on Denmark’s ratification of the
Statuette on the International Agency on Renewable Energy (IRENA)
of the 26th of January 2009 (Oct II)
- Amendment to the law on electricity, the law on
natural gas, the law on Energinet.dk, the law on district heating,
and the law on promotion of renewable energy (Feb I)
- Amendment to the law on establishment and use of a pipeline for
transportation of raw oil and condensate. (Feb I)
- Amendment to the law on promotion of energy savings in building
(Feb II)
- Amendments to the law on eco-design requirements for energy
using products (Feb II)
- Energy political statement (Apr II)
- Climate political statement (Apr II)