Munich's bid to go 100 percent renewable causes resistance in Norway

Munich’s plans for 100 percent renewable power have run into opposition from a remote quarter: Norwegians. The city cannot produce enough wind and solar power within its own borders, and the surrounding state of Bavaria has imposed onerous restrictions on new wind developments; so the the city’s utility has invested in wind projects in Norway -- sparking a backlash from environmentalists, hikers and even the indigenous Sami minority, Daniel Wetzel reports for Welt Online.

The Norwegian critics argue that the turbines are going up in sensitive areas of wilderness. "Norway has only 12 percent wilderness left, and this area is shrinking," Per Hanasand, chairman of the Norwegian hiking and trekking association, told Welt Online. "We want the German population to understand what's happening here.” The new wind farms are particularly controversial because the power they produce is entirely for export, Welt Online reports. Norway already has a 98 percent renewables electricity supply because of its vast hydro resources.

Munich has set a goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2025, and aims to be the first city of over a million residents in the world to reach that goal, Die Welt reports. Meanwhile, resistance to wind power infrastructure has also been growing in Germany.