For many months, the Union and the SPD have been arguing about how to proceed with the expansion of green electricity in Germany. Time is short, because nuclear and coal phase-out are coming. Now there is a new proposal on a particularly sensitive issue - it could bring the breakthrough.
Berlin (dpa) - Economics Minister Peter Altmaier wants to move forward in the dispute over the expansion of green electricity by relaxing the planned rule for a minimum distance between wind turbines and settlements.
The ministry of the CDU politician has drawn up a new proposal, which is favorably commented on in the SPD. First the "mirror" reported about it. The federal states should therefore decide for themselves whether they must maintain a distance of at least 1000 meters between settlements and wind turbines. So far, the 1000 meters should generally apply nationwide - states and municipalities that do not want this would then have had to decide not to apply this rule.
From the point of view of critics in the federal states and municipalities, this originally planned regulation, called opt-out, could have resulted in compromises that had already been found breaking up and having to be renegotiated. A so-called opt-in regulation could now come: If you want a distance of 1000 meters, you have to actively choose it.
At the same time, the proposal is to review whether Germany is on the way to achieving the targeted green electricity share of 65 percent by 2030. The federal states should set goals for this. The goal is a coordination mechanism for a country-specific target achievement of 65 percent across all green electricity sectors - i.e. wind on land, at sea, solar systems and biogas.
A spokeswoman for Altmaiers told the dpa on Tuesday that the expansion of wind energy will only progress if the federal and state governments pull together. "Therefore we have put forward a proposal: the 1000 meter distance regulation applies and forms the principle, but the countries can deviate and determine the interpretation." This gives countries and municipalities the necessary planning freedom to secure areas for wind development and at the same time to ensure local acceptance for wind power.
The expansion of wind power is currently paralyzing. One reason for this is resistance from residents to wind farms. Union politicians had called for the 1000-meter rule to increase acceptance. There is, however, a dispute between the SPD and the Union about the design - the question was, for example, where exactly the 1000 meter distance should be kept, for example when there are only a few houses standing together. The countries should now be allowed to decide on this.
SPD circles said on Tuesday evening to Altmaier's template: "This comes very close to our proposal." It is important that possible distance rules of the countries do not endanger the achievement of the common 65 percent goal.
The coalition groups have been negotiating the expansion of green electricity for many months. In the meantime, country representatives have also been involved. At a federal-state meeting planned for March 12, Altmaier said that there should be a "concrete result" if possible.