Expansion of renewable energies: law is intended to overturn distance rules for wind turbines

To date, less than one percent of the federal territory has been designated for onshore wind energy. The available space should now be significantly more. The government is apparently planning to overturn the distance rules for wind turbines by law.

The federal government apparently wants to tear down the hurdles for the expansion of wind energy and, for example, overturn the distance regulations of the federal states for wind turbines. With the new legislative package, around two percent of Germany's area is to be reserved for wind turbines, as reported by the Reuters news agency, citing the draft law. In order to enforce this, not only the planning and building law, but also the nature conservation law should be changed.

According to the project, the distance rules for wind turbines to residential buildings can initially remain in force. However, if a federal state misses its area specifications, these regulations become invalid, it is said. According to government circles, the project should be launched this Wednesday, according to Reuters. It is to be approved by the cabinet in June and then tabled in the Bundestag.
 
Sustainable energy supply as a goal

The federal government justifies its action with an urgently needed acceleration of the expansion of renewable energies. Reasons are climate protection, but also security policy aspects because of the war against Ukraine. "It is part of a comprehensive regulatory package with the aim of a sustainable and greenhouse gas-neutral energy supply, which is intended to drastically accelerate the expansion of renewable energies and remove all hurdles and obstacles to accelerated expansion," says Reuters in the "Wind on country" law.

The main obstacle to expansion is the lack of available space. Therefore, two percent of the country would have to be designated for wind turbines. "This will require more than a doubling of the designated area in the coming years."

Less than one percent reported for wind energy

Only around 0.8 percent of the federal area is currently designated for onshore wind energy. Only 0.5 percent would actually be used. The government's goal is to double the output of onshore wind turbines to 115 gigawatts by 2030.

With the two percent target, even 165 gigawatts should then be possible. By 2030, 80 percent of electricity consumption is to be covered by renewable energies, and by 2035 almost 100 percent.

The federal government makes specifications for individual states

In order to implement the area targets, the Wind Area Requirement Act (WindBG) sets out clear guidelines for each state: Bavaria, for example, must report 1.1 percent by the end of 2026 and then 1.8 percent by 2032. The same applies to Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia. Countries with more wind, such as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, have targets of 1.4 and 2.1 percent.

If these goals are at risk of being missed, the distance rules set up in the federal states also fall: "Minimum distance regulations are no longer applicable if the area contribution values ​​of the state according to the WindBG are not achieved," it says. Other restrictions will no longer apply. "Definitions in spatial plans or representations in land use plans can no longer be held against them."

Resistance in the countries

Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economics and Climate Protection, initially tried to persuade them to voluntarily expand the wind energy areas by traveling to various federal states. In Bavaria, for example, he encountered decisive resistance.

In Thuringia, the CDU is trying - if necessary with the votes of the AfD - to enforce stricter distance rules against the red-red-green minority government. There will also be cuts in nature conservation law for the expansion goals. "The operation of wind turbines is in the overriding public interest and serves public safety," it should say there. Accordingly, the areas that come into question for wind turbines are being expanded.

Merz hopes for a solution in the Thuringian wind turbine dispute

CDU party leader Friedrich Merz is hoping for a solution in the dispute in Thuringia without the AfD. "There are talks and I hope that there is a reasonable solution without the AfD being needed," said Merz on the ZDF program "Markus Lanz". It is about a solution in Thuringia for the distance rules, "which the population there wants, just like in other federal states," says Merz. "Now we can't make every motion that we think right on the matter dependent on whether the AfD agrees to it or not.

"Most recently, there had been a first talk between the red-red-green minority coalition and the opposition CDU parliamentary group in Thuringia, as both sides had previously announced. "We seriously exchanged our positions today and agreed to stay in touch in the coming days," said CDU faction leader Mario Voigt.

Regulations for endangered birds of prey

For birds of prey, which are particularly endangered by the rotor blades, there are detailed regulations depending on the species. Bird conservationists are no longer allowed to place nesting aids within a radius of 1.5 kilometers of wind energy areas, so that such species do not settle there in the first place.

In order to protect the birds, however, the wind power operators in sensitive areas also have to switch off the wind turbines at times. But you can also create alternative areas to lure the birds away from the region. Species protection programs, which have to be co-financed by the wind industry, should also ensure that the number of birds of one species does not decrease, at least nationwide.

Translation to English via Google Translate