Municipalities may be given the right to reject wind power projects if the capacity of projects already implemented in their territory reaches 150 megawatts (MW), or if projects in the planning region as a whole reach 500 MW, Climate and Energy Minister Kaspars Melnis (Union of Greens and Farmers) told journalists on Thursday.
The minister stressed the need for clarity on Latvia’s energy direction and how much electricity is required. The national energy strategy up to 2030 aims to reach an electricity price of 6.5 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). To achieve this, Latvia needs a diversified energy portfolio, including solar, hydro, thermal power plants, and wind.
The Climate and Energy Ministry (CEM) plans to prepare by October a map identifying areas suitable for wind energy development. This should give municipalities and residents a clearer understanding of where projects may be implemented.
Melnis noted that while many wind projects are currently being discussed, historical experience shows that most will never be developed. For example, between 2009 and 2022, environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures began for 26 projects totaling 4 GW, but
only one project of 0.1 GW capacity moved to construction.
In 2023, EIAs were launched for 22 projects with 5.6 GW capacity, in 2024 for 24 projects also totaling 5.6 GW, and in 2025 for 11 projects with 1.3 GW. However, only the “Laflora” wind park is under construction. According to Melnis, investor interest in wind projects is beginning to cool as developers realize the challenges involved.
Therefore, he argued, clear policy, regulation, and better public communication are needed to explain the necessity of such projects.
The ministry plans to stipulate that EIAs for wind farms can only begin in areas permitted under municipal territorial plans. If the plan does not allow such projects, the EIA process cannot start. Transitional rules will apply to projects already in the EIA phase.
Annual
compensation payments to local residents are also foreseen in areas where wind farms are developed.
In Jelgava municipality, where the Laflora project is underway, these payments could begin as early as next year.
Municipalities would also be granted the right to reject projects if capacity thresholds of 150 MW locally or 500 MW regionally have been reached, counting only projects that have completed EIA and obtained a construction permit. “This will be an additional tool for municipalities to defend residents’ interests, since in some municipalities there are multiple projects and it is difficult for residents to know which ones will actually move forward. Municipalities will also be able to filter projects they want,” said Melnis.
At the same time, municipalities wishing to allow larger wind capacity will be free to do so.
Latvian Employers’ Confederation (LDDK) president Andris Bite stressed that Latvia’s economic growth requires cheap electricity and industrial development. He argued that Latvia currently has very low indicators for heavy industry, and capacity must be expanded quickly by attracting foreign investors to build factories.
“Processing industry cannot develop without sufficient, affordable energy.
Data centers and AI centers are also emerging, and they require a lot of cheap electricity,” Bite said.
“The more energy we generate domestically, the cheaper it will be. And the more we do this with renewable resources, the less money we will send abroad for gas and similar imports,” he explained, calling wind energy the fastest and most efficient source of power generation.
Bite emphasized that the public must be informed about the benefits of wind energy: it will provide cheaper electricity, enabling further industrial projects and creating broader economic development.
“We need to ensure that entrepreneurs ready to invest in wind energy can realize projects more quickly. To balance investment opportunities with public interests, people need to know how many projects will be implemented, what benefits they will bring, and how this links directly to overall prosperity,” he concluded.
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