Iceland review - 2016, Page 55

ICELAND REVIEW 53
ENERGY FOR EVERYONE?
He points out that wind power plants in the UK sometimes
produce more energy than is needed. IceLink could move the
power from the UK to Iceland where it could be used domes-
tically while conserving water in the Icelandic hydropower res-
ervoirs. When the wind stops blowing in the UK the Icelandic
hydropower plants could operate at twice their normal capac-
ity, thus exporting the power back to the UK.
DEMAND FOR RENEWABLES
The increasing demand for renewable energy abroad has also
been a primary reason for the revived discussion, Björgvin
says. “Iceland’s energy production is already [nearly] 100 per-
cent renewable. In contrast, the rest of the world is struggling
to get to 20 or 30 percent ... Iceland has more resources for
power than you and I need for living here,” he said, later add-
ing: “If Iceland would replace some of the UK’s coal energy
production, the resulting reduction in CO2 emissions would
be greater than all of Iceland’s current emissions. There are
perhaps few opportunities where Iceland could make a greater
impact in the ongoing climate discussions.”
Rowley confirms that interest in the UK certainly exists.
“There is a lot of interest in delivering low carbon energy and
a focus on energy prices, so Iceland’s natural resources could
provide a great opportunity to deliver cost effective low carbon
energy.”
The suggestion that Iceland can help other countries reach
their emissions targets by exporting energy has its critics.
Chair of the Iceland Nature Conservation Association, Árni
Finnsson, argues that the proportion of the UK’s energy that
could be provided from Iceland is almost negligible. “I think
we are talking about 1.5 percent of the energy needs of the
UK. It’s not a whole lot,” he says.
Guðmundur Ingi Ásmundsson, director of Landsnet, which
owns and operates all major electricity transmission lines in
Iceland, pointed out in an interview with television station
Stöð 2 in mid-November that although the proportion of
energy Iceland can provide Europe with may be small, the
country still has an important part to play. “Foreign parties
don’t think we will solve the
problems of Europe; it is part
of a larger picture ... to increase
renewable energy sources in
the entire system.”
Guðrún Pétursdóttir, direc-
tor of the University of Iceland’s
Institute for Sustainability
Studies agrees with Árni. “It
is not going to have a major
impact on the emissions, but
for us here it is important
because it is one of our major
resources.” Guðrún also stress-
es that the notion that Iceland
has practically infinite renew-
able energy is a misconcep-
tion. “We do not have endless
energy ... and let us be clear
that geothermal energy is not
renewable in a human lifetime,
only in a geological lifetime.”
Árni is also concerned that
the focus on selling green ener-
gy will provide the Icelandic
government with a disincentive
to improve Iceland’s environ-
mental record in other areas.
“The more politicians praise
Iceland’s clean energy, the less
they will be interested in cut-
ting emissions from transport,
fisheries, farming etc. Iceland,
of course, is tiny, but per capita
emissions are very high—15
tons per person per year,” Árni
argues.