That the municipalities receive corresponding property tax from wind power producers is good. For 2025, the government's proposed grant of 340 million kronor corresponds to 75 öre per kilowatt-hour (kwh), according to Svensk Vindenergi.
Similarly, it's a thumbs up for the proposal that those living near a wind turbine are economically compensated, in the form of profit-sharing with wind power owners and that the property owner has the right to redeem their residence.
But.
"What we lacked today was the adjustment of the municipal veto", writes Tomas Hallberg, responsible for permit issues at the industry organization.
Municipalities Positive
What Svensk Vindenergi wants to see is that the municipalities' responses become binding, that they should not be able to change their minds during the permit process, which creates uncertainty for investors.
We welcome this. This facilitates dialogue with municipal residents, says Ann-Sofie Eriksson, section chief at the municipalities' interest organization SKR.
She points out that other countries have similar arrangements.
How many more municipalities that previously vetoed and now can be expected to say yes is, of course, difficult to know.
"I believe that more municipalities will approve and that means that more projects will come to environmental review", writes Tomas Hallberg in an email response to TT. But it will, due to lengthy environmental reviews, take until at least 2030 before today's potential yes-answers from municipalities become a reality in the form of new wind turbines.
Hydro Power as Well
This is what another stakeholder says about the government's proposal, which aims to get more wind power projects off the ground:
"The government's announcement of strengthened support to municipalities with wind power is positive, it's good that the proposed support covers both new and existing production", says energy company Fortum Sweden's CEO Peter Strannegård in a written comment.
He would like to see hydro power treated similarly, that the money from property tax goes to the local municipalities.
