Minister leaves fines for excess green power in place

Around 2,000 owners of wind turbines and solar panels have been fined for producing too much renewable electricity, DR reports. Tax and Growth Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt acknowledged at a committee hearing that the rules were a mess and needed further work, but did not promise to change them.

Nils-Jørn Krejberg, a wind turbine owner from Lemvig, said he had received a fine of 10,000 kroner for producing 10 kilowatt-hours above the limit. He said the minister’s answers became more specific during the hearing, but that he remained sceptical because no firm commitment was made.

Krejberg said it was absurd to penalise renewable energy producers for generating too much electricity. His turbine has produced 220,000 kilowatt-hours, he said, while the fines stem from brief overruns lasting fractions of a minute.

He said he knew solar and wind owners who ran electric heaters at full power with their windows open to keep their electricity production down and avoid fines.

The hearing was called by Venstre’s Mathilde Hjort Bressum and Danmarksdemokraterne’s Hans Kristian Skibby. Krejberg said he hoped they would continue pressing the minister.