If the government chooses to implement the proposal for offshore wind power presented by investigator Magnus Hermansson, the municipalities' veto will be abolished.
The new model means that the government points out which areas are suitable for construction and then companies can bid in an auction to build there. And then the government has already consulted with all different stakeholders – for example, the defense, shipping, and municipalities.
Today, municipalities have a veto when offshore wind power is built near the coast, in their own territory. Further out, in the Swedish economic zone, the decision falls to the government instead.
In a report from Svensk Vindenergi recently, it was established that municipalities have exercised their veto in 14 out of 20 decisions, i.e., 70 percent of the cases. The decisions risk stopping 44 TWh of annual electricity production, according to the report.
But even if municipalities lose their veto, they will still have an influence, according to the investigator.
The municipality's views are, of course, of particular importance, and therefore the government must specifically account for not following the municipality's stance, says Magnus Hermansson.
