Denmark scares off investors after energy agenda is jettisoned

Copenhagen

IT was the first country ever to venture into offshore wind power. Now, Denmark is scaring off potential investors by abandoning some of the policies that once helped make it an international poster child for green energy.

The centre-right government of Lars Loekke Rasmussen wants to scrap an electricity tax that has helped subsidise wind turbines since 1998. The administration says its decision follows a complaint from the European Union that such subsidies favour domestic businesses.

But Denmark's Wind Energy Association, which estimates the change would lead to a massive drop in new capacity, warns that the development is dangerous…