Top officials in the Danish Climate, Energy and Supply Ministry are under scrutiny for allegedly withholding crucial information about significant delays in the expansion of the Danish electricity grid from the Danish Parliament. Legal experts suggest this raises concerns about whether the minister misled Parliament and potentially broke the law.

The accusations stem from internal meeting minutes and notes obtained through freedom of information requests, revealing that the ministry, including permanent secretary Lars Frelle-Petersen, was aware of the extent of the delays for several months. This information was reportedly withheld despite requests from multiple parties within the Danish Parliament.

The issue is set to be addressed in a parliamentary committee hearing, where Minister Lars Aagaard will face questions regarding the matter. Previously, similar revelations nearly cost him his ministerial post, but he survived a vote of no confidence due to a narrow majority.

According to a new report sent to Parliament, 141 out of 199 electricity projects managed by Energinet, the Danish national grid operator, are now delayed by an average of 29 months. These delays could impede the production of new green electricity and the electrification efforts necessary to meet growing demand.

Experts believe the situation is serious. “We are at a level where it would normally trigger a reprimand – or even force a minister to resign,” one professor stated.

The report indicates that while the number of delayed projects remained constant between the first and second quarters of the year, the existing delays have worsened, with the 141 affected projects slipping an average of three months further behind schedule.

The ministry, in response, acknowledges that it was continuously informed about the delays but assessed that it was not obligated to share the information with Parliament. Minister Aagaard claims he was not personally informed about the data or the decision to withhold it.