Ever since the late 1970s, when renewable, nonpolluting wind power emerged as an alternative energy source, environmentally aware Danes have been up front. The local industry, which employs 12,000, held a 50 percent share in the world market last year by supplying 2,500 megawatts, the equivalent of a medium-sized nuclear power station. Denmark's largest producer Vestas alone had 26 percent of that. In 1979, Denmark began a national windmill program under pressure from grass root organizations demanding new electricity sources. Since then, the government has encouraged Danes to invest money in windmills through co-ops, like Middelgrunden.
People have no say when oil companies are in charge.
Rising awareness about the so-called greenhouse effect linked to increasing temperatures widely blamed on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants using fossil fuels like oil and coal also has increased the focus on wind energy. Today, more than 5,600 windmills dot the Scandinavian nation, producing about 10 percent of Denmark's electricity. In 2030, half of Denmark's energy should come from windmills, according to the government. Depending on technological capacity and winds, the price per kilowatt hour hovers at about 4 cents, which is competitive with other energy sources, Krohn said. The idea is catching on.