In a new bill proposed by Minister of Business Morten Bødskov (S), time limits for complaints regarding the installation of solar panels and wind turbines are introduced. The purpose is to avoid unnecessary delays in processing cases, which can occur when the complaints board waits for additional information from the complainants. This step is taken to combat what the minister describes as “bureaucracy and hassle.” The Ministry of Business has observed examples of complaints about green energy projects, including wind turbine parks, being filed with the purpose of deliberately delaying the process. These complaints are often incomplete and require further elaboration, which prolongs the process. With the new bill, the complaints boards, including the Environmental and Food Complaints Board, the Planning Complaints Board, and the Energy Complaints Board, must now also take into account the need for rapid establishment of renewable energy in their assessments.
Morten Bødskov emphasizes that even though there are examples of deliberate delays, it is not necessarily the norm. He also points out that Denmark needs to be competitive in the international market for green investments, where speed has become a crucial competitive factor. “If we are too slow, we risk losing investments to other countries,” he says. The bill, which will be presented on Wednesday, is expected to come into effect before the summer holidays, if everything goes according to plan. This should hopefully result in a more streamlined and efficient processing of cases, which can promote the installation of more green energy projects in Denmark.