Wind power: Is 10H now falling in Bavaria?

Aiwanger is counting on the relaxation

Created: 04/26/2022, 16:35

By: Christoph Gschossmann

Free voter boss Hubert Aiwanger (left) does not believe that 10H will last in Bavaria for long.

© Daniel Karmann/dpa

Renewable energies are also very popular because of the Ukraine war.

But in Bavaria, 10H slows down wind power.

For how much longer?

Munich – How long will 10H remain in Bavaria?

Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger firmly expects the controversial distance rule for the construction of wind turbines to be relaxed.

Aiwanger explained that he assumes that the rule will be opened "at many points", "from priority and reserved areas to forests to military training areas, commercial and industrial areas".

That said the Free Voters boss on Tuesday after a meeting of the Bavarian cabinet in Munich.

In this way, more and more electricity can be “generated on site and also used directly again”.

Expansion of wind power in Bavaria has come to a virtual standstill

The 10H rule defines the minimum distance between a wind turbine and the next settlement - this must correspond to ten times the height of the wheel.

Since its introduction, the expansion of wind power in Bavaria has come to a virtual standstill.

Aiwanger said that since the Ukraine war and rising energy costs, there have also been more signals from the economy calling for renewable energies to be promoted as a location factor.

Aiwanger was also confident that the CSU parliamentary group in the state parliament - unlike in the past - had recognized the need for easing.

On Wednesday, the members of the state parliament want to discuss the topic in their parliamentary group meeting.

For Greens parliamentary group leader Ludwig Hartmann, the CSU and Prime Minister Markus Söder are “in an energy policy dead end” when it comes to wind power, into which they have maneuvered themselves.

If Söder doesn't find a way out now, Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) will "pull him out of this impasse in the interests of Bavarian industry".

Hydropower: Aiwanger accuses the federal government of blocking

Regarding hydropower, Aiwanger said: "We are massively criticizing what the federal government is currently planning: to shoot down hydropower in Bavaria." The federal government wants to remove small hydropower plants with an output of up to 500 kW from the EEG funding.

More than 60 percent of the small hydroelectric power plants are in Bavaria.

"We can't do without them," said Aiwanger.

More than 3,000 systems would be affected throughout Bavaria.

This means the power supply for a government district like Lower Bavaria.

The Free State will therefore introduce appropriate corrections in the Bundesrat.

In order to ensure the power supply, the cabinet also decided to increase the number of staff in the Bavarian licensing authorities.

This also enables faster approvals for construction projects in the distribution network.

The distribution grids in the country would have to be "fundamentally converted and expanded," it said.

The reason is the addition of large open-space photovoltaic systems and other decentralized renewable energies.