52% of residents fear noise, 48% fear health risks: how disinformation affects not only attitudes towards wind energy but also electricity prices in Latvia

Serious public concerns about wind farms still prevail in Latvia, and they have a direct effect on the economy. According to a survey by the Latvijas Atjaunīgās enerģijas alianse (LAEA) and Norstat¹, 52% of residents are most worried about noise, 48% about possible health risks, 42% about the impact on animals and 41% about the impact on birds. Only 12% say that wind farms do not concern them at all.

These fears would not be a problem in themselves if they did not influence decisions taken at national level and the energy sector as a whole. In practice, they are one of the reasons why wind energy projects are delayed or rejected, and as a result wind energy accounts for only around 3% of Latvia's total electricity output. By comparison, wind energy is already a significant part of the energy system in Europe. It supplies roughly 19% of total electricity output, and in some countries, such as Denmark, as much as 50%².

This is precisely where the link with electricity prices appears. If a country lacks local, cheap electricity generation capacity, the shortfall is covered by imports or by more expensive resources. That means greater dependence on external markets and a higher risk of price volatility – exactly what happened in 2022 in the context of the war in Ukraine. Countries that develop renewable energy resources, by contrast, reduce this dependence. In Lithuania, for example, wind already supplies around 33% of electricity, which helps to reduce the need for imports and the influence of external prices.

It is also important to be precise: international data do not directly confirm the simplistic formula that “more wind means immediately lower prices”. What they do show clearly is a different relationship: countries that develop domestic renewable energy reduce their dependence on imported fossil resources and are therefore less exposed to external price shocks and geopolitical risks. In Latvia's case this means one thing: the longer the development of renewable energy is held back, the longer the country remains highly vulnerable to external factors.

Experts stress that some public concerns have not arisen solely from personal experience or a lack of knowledge. International studies show³ that campaigns against wind energy in Latvia are often based on pseudoscience, conspiracy theories and emotional messaging that is amplified on social networks. “There are many myths to be heard about wind turbines, and they are linked to disinformation that, as NATO reports point out, is deliberately spread by the Kremlin. The result of such narratives is that the country is held back from building the very infrastructure that in other countries helps to reduce dependence on imports and stabilise energy prices,” says Alnis Bāliņš, Chairman of the Board of LAEA.

So what is it that Latvia's residents fear? According to the survey data, the public's greatest concerns about wind farms relate to possible noise (52%) and health risks such as infrasound (48%). A substantial share of respondents also mention the impact on animals (42%), on birds or bats (41%), as well as changes to the landscape (35%) and a possible fall in property values (31%). Damage to infrastructure (16%) and other reasons (4%) are mentioned less often, while only 12% of residents say that wind farms do not concern them at all.

Overall, 19% of Latvia's residents are sceptical about wind farms. At the same time, the survey data show that there is also an understanding in society of the importance of renewable energy sources: almost half, or 44% of residents, agree that a larger share of renewables could help bring electricity prices down.

This view is more common among women (47%) than among men (40%). No significant differences are observed between age groups, while regionally the greatest support is seen in Riga (49%) and the surrounding Pierīga area (47%), and lower support in Zemgale (39%) and Latgale (38%). In Vidzeme and Kurzeme, 45% and 41% of those surveyed respectively express support.

This means that the issue is not only one of energy policy, but primarily one of the information space. As long as decisions are shaped by unfounded fears and propaganda, domestic energy generation is held back and a higher dependence on external factors remains, which has a direct effect on prices.

Today the choice is clear: either decisions are based on data and domestic energy is developed, or we go on believing myths and paying for dependence on external markets.

About the association Latvijas Atjaunīgās enerģijas alianse”

The association “Latvijas Atjaunīgās enerģijas alianse” (“Saules enerģija Latvijai”) was set up in 2022 with the aim of promoting a unified strategy for the renewable electricity sector and the creation of an ecosystem of uninterrupted energy supply. It brings together 34 companies from the sector – solar park developers and industry representatives – which have committed to raising public understanding of the sector, to highlighting and resolving its various problem areas, and to taking part in updating the National Energy and Climate Plan.