Iceland working towards wind power law

Earlier this summer, energy minister Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson appointed a working group to establish a broad consensus on the best ways to develop wind farms in Iceland.

It is now seeking views from stakeholders, municipalities, non-profit organisations and the general public by the end of September.

The group hopes to deliver its recommendations in February 2023. These would help the government to create a law to simplify wind farm construction.

The government has already stated that it wants wind farms to be built in “limited areas” near substations and transmission lines.

It also wants there to be a “broad consensus” on project development and for development to take into account visual effects and impacts on wildlife and nature.

Iceland currently has just one 1.8MW of operational wind capacity – a two-turbine pilot project – according to Windpower Intelligence, the research and data division of Windpower Monthly.

The country’s energy mix is dominated by geothermal and hydropower, with coal and oil playing relatively minor roles, according to the International Energy Agency.