Reuters: Years-long wait for permits blocking European wind farms, industry says
https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/years-long-wait-permits-blocking-european-wind-farms-industry-says-2024-07-04/Years-long wait for permits blocking European wind farms, industry says
By Kate Abnett
July 4, 2024 8:15 PM EDT
BRUSSELS, July 5 (Reuters) - Hundreds of gigawatts of wind energy projects are waiting for permits to connect to Europe's power grid, a backlog that threatens to slow the shift to green energy, industry association WindEurope said on Friday.
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
Gaining access to the power grid is now the biggest hurdle to Europe's expansion of renewable energy, WindEurope said.
With Europe's power networks upgraded too slowly to absorb more capacity, and sluggish grid-permitting procedures in many countries, some projects face waiting times of up to nine years to receive a permit.
"The system is clogged up - and holding back hundreds of gigawatts of wind farms," WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson said.