Why I’m Blown Away by Danish Wind Energy

Lily Biggar; Former Communications Intern [Ed. Note - though we were sad to see Lily go, we're lucky enough to have her dispatches from Copenhagen] A month ago, after completing my summer internship with Clean Water Action, I wrote to say that I’d be spending the fall semester studying sustainability in Copenhagen, Denmark. Most of the buzz surrounding Danish sustainability stems from the country’s leadership in wind energy. Wind currently accounts for nearly 20% of the nation’s electricity consumption— that’s four times that of the United States! Denmark has recently set the goal and is well on its way to extend wind’s share of electricity consumption to 50% by 2050. Last week, my professor brought my class to a wind farm, where we entered a working turbine and climbed up the ladder to the generator and gearbox. From atop of the turbine, I had an amazing view of the city and the Baltic Sea, as well as an incinerator, a coal plant, and a Swedish nuclear power plant, all within miles of the wind farm. I was struck by the juxtaposition between the clean energy source that I stood on and the more troublesome sources surrounding me. While Denmark has yet to complete the transition to 100% renewables, it’s goal in securing a clean energy future is clear. The success of wind in Denmark proves that wind energy is not only a necessary option in the context of today’s changing climate, but a realistic one too!