Wind power in the Hofoldinger forest: Brunnthal wants to go back into the consortium

Created: 07/16/2022, 11:00 am

By: Volker Camehn

In a few years there will be wind turbines in the Hofoldinger Forest.

That's for sure.

Photo: mm © mm

When it comes to energy policy, the municipality of Brunnthal is currently making a 180-degree turn.

It was only last year that she turned her back on the Wind Energy Working Group Hofoldinger Forst (Arge).

Brunnthal

– There shouldn't be any wind turbines in the Hofoldinger Forest, according to the majority vote.

At the time, eleven municipal councils voted in favor of the exit, eight in favor of remaining in the special-purpose association.

Everything is no longer valid.

In the most recent municipal council meeting, the citizens' representatives voted 11:7 for a return to the consortium.

If that doesn't work, then with 15:3 for your own way in terms of wind power, which should enable a "site security contract" with the state forests.

Same majorities, different objectives.

Either way: Brunnthal cannot avoid having its own wind turbines.

Going it alone is also possible

The return to the consortium will not be easy, however, because the remaining participants (Sauerlach, Otterfing, Aying, Miesbach district) have meanwhile created facts, merged to form Windenergie Hofoldinger Forst GmbH and appointed Martin Sterflinger from Sauerlach as a managing director.

Which is why the Brunnthal people's representatives, at the urging of Mayor Stefan Kern (CSU), are also considering going it alone, with their own company.

"Re-entry will be difficult, especially since we will probably dissolve the consortium by November, which will then be transferred to the GmbH," comments Sauerlach Mayor Barbara Bogner (UBV) on the new direction of the neighboring community.

"In addition, we would then have to reverse all municipal council decisions."

“We should do our part”

For Brunnthal, the change in energy policy is not entirely voluntary.

The skepticism here is still great.

The dilemma: if the community refuses to participate in any way, it loses all possible influence on the planning of wind turbines.

"We should make our contribution," said Kern.

It's also about "damage limitation".

The Hofoldinger Forest could soon be history"

Above all, the requirements of the federal government, which wants to promote the expansion of renewable energies, leave little room for maneuver (see appendix).

The Brunnthalers fear that criteria such as the preservation of the landscape, recreational value and the efficiency of the natural balance will play a lesser role in the future due to the construction of wind turbines.

Especially since construction is also and especially to be carried out in landscape protection areas, as provided for in the latest "zoning concept" by the district administration, thus enabling the increased use of wind energy in the Hofoldinger and Höhenkirchner forests.

"The Hofoldinger Forest could soon be history," complained Andreas Langner.

"We build the wind turbines for Munich here, because there is only little space in the Olympic Park," etched the CSU man. "The Hofoldinger forest will then be flattened for that."

discussion very emotional

In general, the municipal council discussion was extremely emotional and fundamental for long stretches: Matthias Amtmann (UBW), for example, believed that a “red-green ideology” was at work, “which is now destroying nature”.

Apocalypse now?

Not everyone sees it that way, even if the advocates of wind power in the municipal council argued less loudly.

"We don't have to reinvent the wheel," pleaded Hilde Miner (Greens) for a consortium re-entry.

"And some people will definitely change their minds when they realize there's a few euros to be made," she speculated, with a view to possible citizen participation.

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For Christine Zietsch (SPD) it was also clear: "We also have to ensure the energy supply for Munich." One could not only use the advantages of the commuter belt, but otherwise make no contribution.

City hall chief Stefan Kern, who is very pragmatic and not exactly known as a wind power proponent, nevertheless warned of a "back to rationality" in the heated debate.

Restriction to the Autobahn area is the best solution

The resolution of the municipal council then reads like the justification for a rearguard action: "A negative statement by the municipality of Brunnthal with the necessary technical and legal justification for the planned changes to the landscape protection area ordinance" is "little promising".

In order to preserve the landscape with a recreational function, "a restriction to the areas on the freeway seems to be the only promising control option".

However, this can probably only be achieved through a site safeguarding agreement with the state forests for the entire municipality and then requires its own planning for implementation, "preferably through a citizen participation model, as has been pursued by the municipality for many years".

1.1 percent of the area for wind power

The "Easter package" put together by Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) is intended to make it easier to build renewable energy sources such as wind turbines or photovoltaic systems.

According to this, two percent of all areas in Germany must be kept free for wind power.

If you want to meet these requirements in the district of Munich, landscape protection areas must also be included.

The Munich region must therefore make exactly 1.1 percent of the area available for wind turbines by 2027, and Bavaria wants to be climate-neutral by 2040.