Published: Less than 20 min ago
Energy and Industry Minister Ebba Busch (KD) strikes back against SD’s actions after the government’s wind power announcement.
SD must answer why they want to say no to Swedish jobs and conditions for lower electricity prices, she says.
– KD, SD, M and L, we are all for wind power – all cooperation parties stand behind the analysis that more electricity will be needed, and that all fossil-free power types will be needed, says Ebba Busch.
“Just look at the Tidö Agreement,” she continues, and refers to page 15 where SD themselves have written that wind power has an important place in the energy mix.
– Here you are otherwise obliged to answer why you want to say no to conditions for lower electricity prices for households, no to new green jobs, Swedish job opportunities for Swedish mothers and fathers, and why you want to say no to being able to meet both a strong welfare and the climate goals .
Hundreds of new power plants
On Tuesday, the government gave permission to the Kattegatt syd and Galene wind farms off the coast of Halland. It is about a hundred wind turbines, some around 300 meters high.
SD’s spokesperson Tobias Andersson was not slow to criticize the government for focusing too much on wind power and not on nuclear power.
TT: Will these wind farms bring lower electricity prices?
– It is not possible to calculate directly, but what we do know is that increased power production is the only thing that will be able to lower electricity prices for households and companies in the long term, says Busch.
She believes that SD rather needs to decide whether they want to pave the way for building new nuclear power this year or not.
TT: Do you see any risk that it would go so far that SD jeopardizes cooperation with the government?
– No no no. I feel very secure that for the first time in eight years, Sweden has a government with a majority basis in the Riksdag.
Warns of voter flight
Local politicians for the governing parties, such as the moderate Henrik Sundström in Uddevalla, warn that the government’s wind power announcement will lead to an exodus of voters to SD.
Ebba Busch says the government will not remove the municipal veto. At the same time, many large companies want to make investments in Western Sweden, but cannot do so if they do not add more electricity production, she says.
– No one wants a situation where pensioners in Western Sweden have electricity bills that are greater than their entire pension. Then there must be more power production, and that is what we have agreed to.