The government has repeatedly stated that wind farm developments in Estonia need to be accelerated, but at the same time, there is a decision regarding a refused building permit about an off-shore wind farm on the government's table. There have been five new proposals to develop off-shore wind farms over the last few years.
The first-ever maritime spatial plan has been drawn up and is set to reach the government in January. The plan would make it possible to develop more wind farms in three areas off the coast of Estonia than the country consumes with the first off-shore wind farms potentially ready to operate by the end of the decade.
The Environmental Investment Center has allocated €9 million of support in the last three years to Ida-Viru County. Tartu has received €26 million over the same time-frame. One of the primary reasons for the disparity, however, is that there have been far fewer applications emanating from Ida-Viru County.
The Baltic states are discussing options to allow more Russian and Belarusian electricity on their markets, but even if imports go up, prices going down is not a likely outcome.
The state has established a region near the coast of Saaremaa, where potential wind farms could be developed and the residents of Estonia's biggest island have started thinking of ways to profit from the wind farms themselves, hoping for investments to ports and new jobs.