Danmarksdemokraterne politician breaks ranks to approve major renewable energy projects in Thy

A controversial plan to build six 180-metre wind turbines and 40 hectares of solar panels in Sydthy was narrowly approved by Thisted Municipality council on Wednesday, with a Danmarksdemokraterne (Denmark Democrats) councillor casting the decisive vote against his party’s stated opposition to such projects.

The 14–13 decision clears the way for two large renewable energy developments in the Thy region, despite local resistance and non-binding referendums indicating majority opposition. Danmarksdemokraterne councillor Lars Westergaard, elected last November, defied party lines by voting in favour of one project—calling it “the hardest decision of my life.”

“That’s why it took me some time,” Westergaard told DR Nyheder, acknowledging the tension with his party’s leadership. “We weren’t entirely in agreement, but I’m fighting for a more modern Danmarksdemokraterne.” Asked whether his vote risked his political future, he replied, “My inner self, which is almost always right, tells me I do [have a future].”

The approval has led critics to declare the end of Thy’s so-called “Thy-model,” a locally developed approach to balancing renewable energy expansion with community input. Both projects had faced significant backlash, with advisory votes showing most residents opposed to the plans.