Norway has unveiled plans to significantly expand offshore wind energy production by 2040, in a bid to transform the country—which has built its wealth on oil and gas extraction—into an exporter of renewable electricity.

The centre-left government, which has previously drawn scrutiny from environmentalists for its continued support of the oil and gas sector, has set a target of developing 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity by 2040.

“This would almost double our electricity production,” says Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Norway, which maintains that the world still needs its oil and gas while transitioning to cleaner energy, believes that developing offshore wind will allow it to leverage the expertise of its existing energy sector. (...)