History of Danish Wind Power - Wind Power for the World: The Rise of Modern Wind Energy - page 83

Wind power should play an important role. The goal was that
wind turbines should cover 10% of the electricity consumption
in 2005. A new deal with the utilities covered another 100 MW
installed capacity before 1994. However, the private investments
in wind power during the early 1990s were delayed by uncertainty
around payment for the electricity produced and local planning for
placement of wind turbines.
In 1996, with new government since 1992 and Svend Auken as
the Minister for Energy and Environment, Denmark got its fourth
energy plan. The wind power goal for 2005 was the same as in
the 1990-plan, but was supplemented with a long-term target for
2030. In this year, 5 500 MW wind power should be installed—
4 000 MW of the capacity should be placed ofshore. This was
twice the capacity of the most ambitious scenario in the 1990 plan.
At the same time, the regional and local planning for wind
turbine sites were nearly finished and new legislation in 1998
favoured ownership by investors and companies without the
former geographical restrictions. This gave a strong growth in
the wind capacity. From 1995 to 2000, the total Danish wind
turbine capacity grew from 400 MW to 2 400 MW and the share of
wind energy grew from 3.5% to 12% of the electricity consumption.
Wind power was in that way already several years ahead of the
schedule in the energy plans from 1990 and 1996.

Figure 3.39 The gradual evolution of the size of Danish wind turbines from

1980 until 2005—with capacity (kW) and rotor diameter (m)
indicated (Picture: The Danish Energy Museum).