How Denmark Built the World's Most Productive Wind Industry

The Productivity Podcast with Fexingo: Output, Efficiency, and Long-Term Economic Growth · Jun 28, 2026 · 8m · transcript

Denmark's wind energy sector is the most productive in the world, with a capacity factor of over 40 percent, nearly double the global average. How did this small Nordic country become a leader? This episode unpacks the key decisions: the early 1970s oil crisis that sparked a national shift, the cooperative ownership model that built local buy-in, and the consistent government policy that allowed companies like Vestas and Orsted to innovate over decades. We also look at the surprising role of farmers and village cooperatives in owning turbines, and how Denmark's grid was redesigned…