As of: February 13, 2024, 5:41 p.m
By: Nadja Zinsmeister
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Thuringia's Prime Minister Ramelow is shocked by the plans for a high-voltage power supply between Thuringia and Bavaria.
A CSU politician too.
Erfurt/Munich - After the surprising announcement by Bavaria's Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters) that another high-voltage power station would be built between Bavaria and Thuringia, there was a hail of sharp criticism from both federal states.
The government in Erfurt is reacting completely angrily to the power line project - local politicians in Bavaria feel taken by surprise and let down.
“The fact that the Bavarian government is planning another power line at the expense of Thuringia and simply has a corridor on our territory is unparalleled audacity,” commented Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (the Left) on the plans on Monday (February 12).
People are stunned by the project.
Among other things, because the Bavarian government “didn’t even try to talk to Thuringia,” said Ramelow.
Power line idea causes dispute between Bavaria and Thuringia - Aiwanger defends the project
Aiwanger rejected the Prime Minister's criticism on Tuesday.
“The routes are not planned by the federal states, but by the transmission system operators and the Federal Network Agency,” said the Bavarian Deputy Prime Minister of the German Press Agency in Munich.
The Bavarian state government did not insist on including the line in the plans.
Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters), Deputy Prime Minister and Economics Minister of Bavaria.
© Peter Kneffel/dpa
Criticism of the Bavarian state government is not only coming from Thuringia.
The first municipalities in Bavaria are also reacting angrily to Aiwanger's announcement.
“I am definitely very surprised, not to say quite dismayed,” said the district administrator of Bad Kissingen, Thomas Bold (CSU), on Friday.
His district is massively affected by the plans: “This means that a total of six corridors will cut through the Bad Kissingen district in the future.”
The project is an extreme burden for the population and also for nature.
It is clear to him that new power lines are necessary for the energy transition.
But the burdens would have to be distributed evenly.
“And I don’t see that at the moment.”
Bavarian municipalities criticize the lack of agreement on route projects
In the Coburg district people were particularly annoyed by the lack of agreement.
District Administrator Sebastian Straubel (CSU) criticized the fact that they had been presented with a fait accompli “without any consultation”.
Now the administration of the Bavarian district wants to talk to them as quickly as possible.
Hubert Aiwanger surprisingly announced last week that, in addition to Suedlink and Suedostlink, the planned route called Suedwestlink would also bring electricity from northern Germany to Bavaria - if possible via underground cable.
According to current plans, Suedwestlink should actually only continue through Lower Franconia to Baden-Württemberg, without a branch.
In addition, another line is planned above ground from Schalkau in Thuringia via the Münnerstadt area to Grafenrheinfeld.
In addition to disputes over the planned power lines, the planned largest wind farm in Bavaria continues to be the subject of heated discussions.
Aiwanger now wants to talk to concerned opponents.
At the same time, he made it clear that the wind turbines would be built - “whether citizens want it or not”.
(nz/dpa)