It is with great sadness that we announce that Preben Maegaard, 85 years old, is dead. Preben died quietly in his sleep after a long illness.
Preben Maegaard lived at the Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energy, a central place in the heart of his extensive life’s work, where he gathered enthusiasts who, like him, agreed that it was not enough just to be against nuclear power – one had to create an alternative.
This alternative was found by starting to work with renewable energy. With wind energy at the center, a political tailwind and understanding was created with Anker Jørgensen, and a committee was set up to support the development. Here Professor Niels I. Meyer became chairman and in the committee the zealous Preben Maegaard found a place, and so did the village blacksmiths. This created the triangle of effort at the core of renewable energy, which set in motion the development of wind energy. Folkecenter became the focal point of his life and here he lived as an energetic powerhouse of the green transition, a force of nature in his own right. Preben Maegaard has left a strong impression on Danish and international energy policy and on the development of local energy communities and Folkecenters around the world. Preben leaves behind a life’s work that the whole world is now in the process of completing – the green transition to renewable energy, to create a better climate and a better life for all.
Let the memory of Preben Maegaard be honored.
Ole Vagn Christensen
Chairman of the board – Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energy