Wind to help drive Finnish carbon neutral plan.

Finland is planning to cut taxes on wind turbines as part of a plan to go carbon neutral by 2035.

The country's new left-leaning coalition government set the ambitious target as part of a broader manifesto that addresses everything from housing to defence.

Policy measures would include reducing property tax on wind turbines, and eliminating double taxation of electricity storage in pumping stations and for smaller batteries.

"The electrification of society and the interconnection of energy systems require a significant increase in renewable electricity production," the government said in the 193-page document.

The report, however, said that growth in wind power generation was expected to take place "on market terms".

"The conditions for building offshore wind power will be improved," it added, via "eliminating" administrative, planning and other barriers to project construction.

The government said it would set up a ministerial working group on climate and energy issues to prepare new specific policies.

The plan also entails an end to coal-fired power generation by 2029 at the latest and a halving of peat use by 2030.

4 June 2019

reNEWS.biz