Wind energy issues in Estonia and Latvia — The current status and perspectives

In the frame of the Estonia - Latvia programme's project GORWIND we have looked at the general policy descriptions, the laws and regulations on choosing the development areas at the coastal zone and in marine locations and the consideration of the wind energy question in the territorial plans of the local governments around the Gulf of Riga. The differences between two countries are mostly in the details of procedures. Still, the problems and inconsistencies are quite in common - a missing stability in legislation and coordinated development of infrastructure. The territorial plans of Latvian local governments in the Gulf of Riga area mostly have not regarded the existence of the wind park as a serious option. Already existing wind parks and turbines are located outside the Gulf area and therefore the development in this sense is somewhat delayed in Latvia. The situation in Estonia differs substantially as all coastal local governments have considered the possibility of having wind turbines in their territorial plans.