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Wind turbines near Salzgitter
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Julian Stratenschulte / DPA
Despite all efforts, the expansion of wind energy is not gaining momentum.
According to Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens), the number of new permits and applications for wind turbines in the first quarter of 2022 was below the previous year's level.
"And that was a pathetically bad year," Habeck said at a press conference.
Last year, the increase in onshore wind power was less than two gigawatts, the highest increase ever achieved was five gigawatts in 2017.
The sluggish expansion contradicts the federal government's plans to cover at least 80 percent of German electricity consumption with renewable energies by 2030 - above all with onshore wind energy, the most important source of green electricity to date.
The federal government recently decided on what is known as the "Easter Package", which is intended to amend the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) and the Offshore Wind Energy Act, among other things.
The principle established is that the use of renewable energies is in the overriding public interest and serves public safety - this means that there is no longer a general ban on building in nature reserves.
Municipalities should also be able to contribute financially.
In addition, there is a reduction in bureaucracy and accelerated procedures in grid expansion, so that renewable electricity can be transported from the coast to the south, for example.
According to Habeck, municipalities and states should now quickly designate areas for new plants, even if the new laws will not come into force until the beginning of 2023.
Otherwise "we lose time" to achieve the trend reversal.
Germany, which is still heavily dependent on gas and oil supplies from Russia, is expected to be climate neutral overall by 2045.
That is why Habeck has promised to triple the pace of climate protection.
However, Germany's greenhouse gas emissions increased significantly again last year.
The building and transport sectors have not met their targets, unlike industry and agriculture.
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