Abstract
The energy transition has to align with legally binding policies on climate change and nature protection. Since land-use change is the biggest driver for biodiversity loss, there is increasing tension between decarbonization efforts and biodiversity protection needs. This study assesses the correlation of biodiversity protection and available land through species-richness based exclusion layers and the analysis of area exclusion constraints into the European power system model OpenEMPIRE. The methodology is applied to a Norwegian case study focusing on the power system consequences of protecting species-rich areas of birds, vascular plants, and insects. Results show that excluding species-rich areas substantially reduces the land available for onshore wind and solar development in Norway. The model results show that the biodiversity-based land exclusions reduce onshore wind output up to 20TWh/ year, with minimal impact on solar. The reduced Norwegian production is largely compensated by increased wind, solar, gas, and nuclear generation in neighboring countries. Norway still remains a net exporter of electricity, with declining volumes until 2050.