Controversial debate: wind turbines in the mountains?

Created: 11/29/2022, 08:00

By: Andreas Seiler

Opinions differ: A wind turbine in the middle of the landscape.

This facility is over 200 meters high near Berg am Starnberger See.

© mm

The federal government is putting pressure on the expansion of wind energy - and is demanding more potential areas.

The district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen is not spared either.

But where in the tourism region are such systems justifiable?

In district politics, the controversy flares up as to whether locations in the mountains are an option.

District – The traffic light coalition in Berlin has set itself the goal of doubling electricity from renewable energies by 2030.

Wind power plays an important role in this.

In order to significantly expand this on land, planning and approval procedures should be accelerated and the scope of the areas suitable for this should be increased.

The ambitious area target by 2032 is: 1.8 percent.

Of course, this also applies to the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

So far, wind power has not played a role in this country – a circumstance for which critics blame a “policy of prevention”.

In the holiday region between Staffelsee and Karwendel, this form of energy production does not have a large fan base.

The fear of "sparing" the beautiful landscape is often heard as a reason for the negative attitude.

The district is currently almost completely an exclusion area - i.e. for places where the sometimes more than 250 meter high masts for generating green electricity can be erected, not at all planned.

Only in the north are there some theoretically imaginable spots.

Regional map is updated

But that could change soon.

Because the Oberland planning association, which includes the districts of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Miesbach and Weilheim-Schongau, is in the process of updating the regional plan - and expanding the potential wind power areas.

Cornelia Drexl is convinced that the area and target specifications are ambitious, but they can be achieved.

The regional representative recently reported to the district's environmental and agricultural committee, which met in Ohlstadt, on the current status of the project.

But the topic is explosive.

Because the all-important question is where exactly the power plants are to be built?

The valleys are out of the question because the wind speeds are too low there.

Measurements suggest this.

Then only the mountains remain, at least in the southern area.

SPD district councilor Dr.

Sigrid Meierhofer can definitely get used to this idea.

"How else are we supposed to manage the transformation?" she asks herself - and adds: "We have to accept some restrictions." Other tourism destinations in Austria and Switzerland also set up wind turbines in the higher areas.

According to the former mayor of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the environmentally friendly technology can only be operated economically if

if the necessary infrastructure such as a power connection is available.

When asked, she names the Zugspitzplatt as a conceivable candidate.

In the meeting, Drexl held back on the explosive location issue with concrete statements - and left everything open: "We have to check that.

We lack technical statements,” she explained.

Topic in the Environment and Agriculture Committee

The Meierhofer initiative met with criticism in the committee.

Farchant's Mayor Christian Hornsteiner (CSU) urged prudence.

In principle, he has nothing against wind power in the district, he then explains in an interview with the Tagblatt.

"You can't say no to everything if we want to become energy self-sufficient," emphasizes the head of the town hall.

But: "It has to fit." He could possibly get used to a small system in an inconspicuous place - but by no means with a massive building in an exposed location.

"This is also viewed critically by the population," Hornsteiner is certain.

When it comes to the regenerative energies available to the district, the local politician relies primarily on a form that can also cover the base load: hydroelectric power.

also read

Ascension Squad: Munich residents get bogged down in the Karwendel – one wears leggings and shorts

After a brutal attack in Garmisch-Partenkirchen: 21-year-old succumbs to her serious injuries

And the district CSU is campaigning for the expansion of open-space photovoltaic systems.

For this purpose, the Christian Socialists have their eyes on the strips on federal and state roads.

A specialist office is now to examine – this was decided by the committee – where such an investment is feasible.