Denmark solar farms face rural backlash
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- Denmark Democrats leader Inger Støjberg campaigned against solar farms in 2024, declaring "we say no to fields of iron" and calling for more common sense in the green transition.
- Municipalities including Køge, Viborg, and Samsø cancelled or rejected planned solar farms in 2024 and 2025, with some councils approving only wind and biogas components of mixed renewable projects.
- Solar power production in Denmark tripled from 4% of electricity in 2021 to 13% in 2025, concentrating construction in rural areas and prompting local backlash.
- Mads Fuglede, a Denmark Democrats politician elected in November, stated the party opposes solar farms on farmland, arguing panels should be installed in cities instead.
- Danish Solar Association data shows solar panels cover only 0.2% of Danish farmland, with about one-third of capacity on rooftops, far less than public perception suggests.
- Henrik Stiesdal, pioneer of Danish wind energy, attributed rising opposition to social media amplification, noting local discontent spreads despite broad national support.
- Torsten Hasforth of Concito warned that solar developers face profitability issues due to grid congestion, slow electrification, and rising days of negative electricity prices.
Why it matters: Rural opposition backed by rightwing populists is halting solar projects in Denmark despite 77% public support among green-influenced voters, creating a disconnect between national climate goals and local implementation that risks slowing the country’s clean energy expansion.
