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Wind turbines in Göllheim (Rhineland-Palatinate): A rather rare sight, especially in southern Germany
Photo: Boris Roessler / dpa
Away from the fossil fuels oil, gas and coal, towards renewable energies – which Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) referred to as “freedom energies” in the context of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine: This shift is losing at least in relation to onshore wind power in Germany more and more momentum.
As reported by the German Wind Energy Association, 99 wind turbines with a total capacity of 407 megawatts were connected to the grid in the first quarter - 23 percent less than in the same quarter of the previous year.
Because old systems were also shut down, the net increase in installed capacity was 355 megawatts, according to figures from the Wind Energy Agency.
The front runners were North Rhine-Westphalia with 26 new wind turbines and Schleswig-Holstein with 25. In the state of Bavaria, which is the largest in terms of area and has the strictest rules nationwide on the distance between wind turbines and residential buildings, no new wind turbines were connected to the grid.
As early as mid-April, it was said, citing preliminary figures, that the expansion of onshore wind power had faltered in the first three months.
The industry is now demanding an »acceleration turbo«.
Existing, blanket distance regulations would have to be cleared, said the President of the German Wind Energy Association, Hermann Albers.
The protection of citizens in the immediate vicinity of wind turbines is already provided by extensive regulations in the Federal Immission Control Act.
In Bavaria, for example, the expansion of wind energy has so far only progressed very slowly - or not at all in the first three months of this year.
The controversial 10H distance rule for wind turbines applies in the federal state.
So far, it provides for ten times the distance between the height of the wind turbine and the next building.
The state government announced at the end of April that the rule should be selectively relaxed.
The federal government wants to accelerate the expansion of renewable energies with a comprehensive package of measures.
Economics and climate protection minister Robert Habeck (Greens) wants to achieve that two percent of the area in Germany will be designated for wind energy in the future.
So far, this has by no means been achieved in most countries.
fdi/dpa