Sydthy Kabellaug
by Paul Gipe
Related to cooperatives is the Danish concept of communal action. When Thy HøjspændingsvFrk, the local high-voltage distribution company, refused to connect a group of new wind turbines proposed by farmers in windy northwest Jutland, the farmers banded together and formed Sydthy Kabellaug to build their own high-voltage collection system. The jointly-owned company then laid 16 kilometers of cable to 26 different wind turbines in the township of Sydthy and connected directly to the high-voltage system, bypassing the local distribution company. Most, like pig farmer Niels Mogens Sloth, installed Vestas V27s. In Sydthy, this 225 kW wind turbine can generate 600-900,000 kWh per year depending upon the site. Farmers typically paid about 300,000 Euros each for the turbine, installation, and their share of the cable company.
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