Solar on the field?

Habeck presents new plan – Özdemir makes promises to farmers

Created: 02/10/2022 17:03

By: Kai Hartwig

A solar system over a rapeseed field in Baden-Württemberg.

© Patrick Seeger/dpa

The energy transition in Germany is progressing slowly.

Economics Minister Habeck wants to accelerate this with the “Easter package”.

The farmers' association sees this critically.

Berlin – The traffic light coalition wants to create the energy transition in Germany.

In the future, renewable energies are to make up the majority of power sources.

That is why the government made up of SPD, Greens and FDP has set an ambitious goal.

According to Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck, in less than nine years, 80 percent of the electricity generated nationwide should come from renewable energies.

This currently only applies to around 40 percent.

But the so-called "Easter package" - a package of laws to expand wind and solar energy, which is to be passed by the cabinet by Easter - could help here.

Expansion of renewable energy: Government wants more photovoltaic systems on farmland

The three green-led ministries for economy, environment and agriculture have now agreed to significantly expand solar energy sources.

To this end, Habeck, Environment Minister Steffi Lemke and Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir want to promote photovoltaic systems on agricultural land and moorland.

As the Ministry of the Environment stated on Thursday (February 10), agricultural PV systems are to be funded in future as part of the Renewable Energy Sources Act.

Environment Minister Lemke confirmed that the expansion of solar energy would not be at the expense of nature and species conservation.

According to calculations by the federal government, up to 200 gigawatts of additional photovoltaic capacity could be installed on agricultural land.

As of today (January 10), the figure is around 60 gigawatts.

Solar systems on arable land: farmers' association criticizes - Özdemir appeases

Criticism of the government's plans has already come from farmers.

In a position paper published on Thursday (February 10), the farmers' association called for the promotion to be extended to include grassland.

Minister of Agriculture Özdemir tried to dispel the concerns.

And made Germany's farmers a promise via Twitter.

"Our farmers should be able to benefit from climate and environmental protection," he wrote.

It used to be: “Renewables or nature conservation or agriculture.

In the end, everyone lost.” Together with his Green party colleagues Lemke and Habeck, he “planned to put an end to it.”

According to Özdemir, the farmers should continue to be able to cultivate their agricultural land despite the new solar systems.

However, according to the farmers' association, such a dual use in the Federal Republic is still in the pilot stage.

The association added in its position paper that solar systems suitable for dual use are currently even more expensive than systems for open spaces.

The solar modules would have to let more light through if used twice, and the construction would also be more complex.

Therefore, higher government funding of such systems than those in open spaces is absolutely necessary.

In principle, the farmers' association prefers the construction of solar systems primarily on buildings and on conversion areas.

These are unused areas that were once used for other purposes.