From the reader. Kari Tuomela demanded more regulation for wind power in Kauppalehti (KL 13.4.).
However, wind power is already very comprehensively regulated in Finland, and extensive environmental studies are carried out in connection with the planning of wind power projects.
Surveys are made either during zoning or during zoning and environmental impact assessment.
Wind power is built in accordance with current legislation and is regulated by, among other things, the Land Use and Construction Act, the Act on Certain Neighborhood Relations, the Nature Conservation Act, the Environmental Protection Act, the Water Act, the Electricity Market Act, the Reindeer Management Act, the Aviation Act, the EIA Act and the Redemption Act and so on.
Wind power construction is also governed by the Government Decree on guideline values for the outdoor noise level of wind power plants.
No new regulation is needed
There is therefore no need for new separate legislation to guide wind power construction.
In other countries, it has been seen that a large sudden reform of the legislation stops project planning and construction even for years.
“Duplicate regulations could be removed from the current legislation.”
Finland cannot afford this. Investments in clean electricity are also an absolute prerequisite for the hydrogen economy and for future investments in industry, such as the production of clean steel.
Instead, duplicate regulation could be removed from the current legislation and administrative court proceedings and licensing of offshore wind power in the economic zone could be streamlined, for example.
Anni Mikkonen
CEO, Finnish Wind Energy Association