The recent council periods in Lolland Municipality have been characterised by an aggressive business policy.
- Development, development and development, said the former mayor Holger Schou Rasmussen (S) in a debate before the municipal election in 2025.
This also involved a major focus on green projects. Solar parks and new wind turbines were to be established, but the new council has put this on hold. And this approach should inspire other municipalities.
- The ambition is actually greater: That we in Lolland can help develop a model that can inspire the rest of the country, says the new mayor of Lolland Municipality, Marie-Louise Brehm Nielsen from the local list Your Voice.
This is the beginning of the answer to how the green transition will look in Lolland Municipality.
50 days at the top
The first 50 days for the new council are now over.
Although the new politicians have not been in office for long, there are already fundamental differences in how the new council views the green transition.
- The green transition is a national societal task, and here we as a municipality can lead with an approach that combines development, consideration for the local community and local value creation, says Marie-Louise Brehm Nielsen.
Until election day, 17 November 2025, the plan was to establish three large solar parks on Lolland, in a major effort to create green electricity for a PTX plant near Nakskov.
The new mayor quickly made it clear that all plans to establish more green electricity are on hold. At least until Lolland Municipality finds a way to make the new green initiatives relevant to the citizens of the municipality.
Local ownership
- Regarding the green transition, we in the city council look forward to developing a genuine “Lolland model” for a hybrid park. The starting point must be real citizen involvement in the local community, says the new mayor and continues.
- Ownership, local anchoring, and support must be created. We do not want solutions that are perceived as imposed from above, but projects that are developed in dialogue with the people who live and work close to them, says Marie-Louise Brehm Nielsen.
At the latest meeting of the Climate, Technology, and Environment Committee, a battery park near Rødbyhavn was also postponed. The explanation was that the rules need to be in order.
- The fact is that the relevant committee has asked the administration to prepare a proposal for what requirements make sense to impose on battery parks. Battery parks are a relatively new area, and therefore it is both responsible and necessary that we think carefully before we establish the final framework, says the mayor.
Focus on citizens and businesses
She does not believe that the current reactions to putting all new green projects on hold mean that the municipality is taking a back seat in the green transition.
- It is not a sign that we are withdrawing from the green agenda. On the contrary, it is about ensuring that new technologies are integrated in a way that is well thought out and locally anchored, says Marie-Louise Brehm Nielsen.
Since the election campaign, it has been clear that the new mayor wants better citizen involvement before new projects are launched.
And this approach is also to ensure businesses a more secure investment, she believes.
- In Lolland Municipality, the overall direction is set: We will continue to be an active part of the green development and an attractive partner for companies that demand green energy and sustainable solutions. But we will do it properly with clear frameworks, local dialogue and political responsibility, says Marie-Louise Brehm Nielsen.
