The Energy Commission must come up with the next intelligent steps forward in Denmark’s green transition

Lars Christian Lilleholt launched the Government’s Energy Commission together with the CEO of Danfoss, Niels B. Christiansen, who will serve as the chairman of the commission.

In addition to the chairman, the Energy Commission is to be composed of eight members from academia and industry with expertise in such areas as the financing of the energy sector, competitive markets and future energy systems. The government has a long-term objective that Denmark must be independent of fossil fuels by the year 2050 and that while pursuing this objective Denmark must continue to be one of the leading countries in the green transition.

The Energy Commission will analyze and assess trends in the energy sector and make recommendations for a cost-effective Danish energy policy for the period 2020-2030.

The goal is that Denmark must continue to be one of the leading countries in the green transition and that this transition must be achieved in a manner that is reasonable with regards to developments in Denmark and the world around us.

“We are at a crossroads in terms of global, European and thus also Danish climate and energy policy. A number of the conditions that formed the basis for Denmark’s green transition up to this point have changed. We have secured a global climate agreement, we see stronger European and regional cooperation on energy, and the global energy markets are changing rapidly. In Denmark, we need to position ourselves with regards to the new conditions and get a thorough assessment of what is the next intelligent step in Denmark’s green transition. The Energy Commission must assess the importance of these trends for Danish energy policy and devise the next smart move in Denmark’s green transition so that we can take advantage of Danish strengths in the energy sector in the best possible way for the benefit of climate, growth, employment and exports”, says Energy, Utilities and Climate Minister Lars Christian Lilleholt.

The green transition and growth must go hand in hand In order for Denmark to retain its leading position while at the same time ensuring the green transition remains attractive, a strong focus on getting costs down and, not least, maintaining good conditions in which to do business is required.

“I wish The Energy Commission the best of luck in their endeavours and look forward to seeing the results in a years time in the form of constructive, innovative and solid recommendations. It will take the efforts of these extremely competent people to come up with recommendations on how we utilize the strengths of the Danish energy system and continue the green transition in a cost effective way in cooperation with the countries around us. I am sure that the The Energy Commission will contribute very positively to ensuring a cost-effective green transition that creates optimum opportunities for continued growth, development and employment,” says Energy, Utilities and Climate Minister Lars Christian Lilleholt.

The chairman of the commission, Niels B. Christiansen, looks forward to the work, and highlights in particular the importance of developing a flexible and integrated Danish energy system that utilizes society´s ever-increasing digitization.

“I look forward along with the rest of the commission to being able to provide government and parliament with our recommendations on how we maintain our leading position so that we not only expand our capabilities in energy efficiency and renewable energy, but at the same time also see an increased focus on cost efficiency, integration of sectors and digitization. The ability to utilize increased digitization is essential for competitiveness, and Denmark has the opportunity to profit from this development if we manage to create the right framework. The solutions of the future will be all about continuing to expand with more renewable energy. However, such future solutions will depend just as much on the efficient use of this renewable energy.” says CEO of Danfoss, Niels B. Christiansen.

Facts:

• The Energy Commission will be established on the basis of the government guidelines which state that “the government will set up an energy commission to prepare a blueprint for energy policy objectives and measures for the period 2020-2030 with the aim of contributing to Denmark meeting its international obligations.”
• The Energy Commission will consist of eight members and a chairman appointed based on their professional knowledge and expertise on the energy sector, industry conditions, digitization and financing.
• Chairman of the Energy Commission will be Niels B. Christiansen, CEO of Danfoss.
• The other members are:
  Per Heiselberg, professor at Aalborg University
  Jacob Østergaard, professor at the Technical University of Denmark
  Birgitte Sloth, associate dean at the University of Copenhagen Peter Mølgaard, professor at the Copenhagen Business School Peter Brixen, chief analyst at Muusman
  Søren Eriksen, Vice President of Schneider Electric
  Morten Springborg, theme specialist Carnegie Asset Management Marianne Dahl Steensen, CEO of Microsoft Denmark
• The Energy Commission is expected to publish recommendations for Danish energy policy in early 2017.