How Wind Power and Indigenous Rights Clashed in Norway

Already a world leader in the use of renewable energy, Norway has plans to up its game. But in late 2021, the construction of two large wind parks on the country’s blustery Fosen peninsula set the nation’s green agenda on a collision course with its indigenous Sami people. Protesters concerned about the effects of the parks’ operations on the Sami — including the climate activist Greta Thunberg — staged demonstrations demanding that officials shut down the project’s 151 turbines. After almost a year of negotiations, a deal was struck that allowed the turbines to continue producing power beyond 2040.

The case is considered a bellwether of the future of onshore wind power in Norway, which needs more clean power generation to supplement its vast hydropower resources in order to meet its emissions-reduction goals and prepare for the electrification of transportation and heating.