Wind energy in Bavaria on the rise

18.08.2025

Source: E & M powernews

In the first half of 2025, 743 new wind turbines were applied for under a white-blue sky. Permits and commissioning are also increasing and boosting expansion.

The expansion of wind energy is picking up speed in Bavaria. According to the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, 743 new turbines were applied for in the first six months of this year. This significantly exceeded the number of applications for the entire years 2022 to 2024 (see table below). At the same time, the authorities issued 96 permits by the end of June, more than in the entire previous year. In addition, ten new plants with a total capacity of around 52.7 MW were connected to the grid.

According to Economics and Energy Minister Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters), the relaxation of the 10H rule is contributing to this development. This regulation, which has stipulated a minimum distance of ten times the height of turbines from residential buildings since 2014, was relaxed in 2022. It no longer applies in designated priority areas and the Bavarian State Forests. In addition to this change, according to the ministry, increased advisory services, the wind caretakers - regional contacts who support local authorities and project developers - and projects in the state forests have also boosted momentum.

Participation law in the works

Another building block is a planned participation law that will allow local authorities to participate in the profits from wind farms. The plan is to pay 0.2 cents per kWh fed into the grid, which, according to the ministry, can amount to around 30,000 euros per plant per year. This is intended to increase acceptance in the affected regions.

The ministry also points out that the increase in June was also due to a pull-forward effect. Many project developers had submitted their applications before the deadline in order to benefit from expiring exemptions in the Wind Energy Area Requirements Act. These special rules related to species protection and environmental impact assessments, among other things, and expired in June 2025. An amendment passed by the Federal Council now provides for acceleration areas that continue to enable simplified procedures.

In a statement from his ministry - the Bavarian State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy - Aiwanger says that the positive figures are no reason for negligence. Rather, the expansion must continue consistently with a view to grid capacities, storage solutions and purchase agreements.

The area targets stipulate that Bavaria must designate a total of 1.8 percent of its land area for wind energy by 2032. This is intended to ensure that sufficient sites are available. The reference yield model also ensures that regions with less wind remain economically competitive by creating a balance between particularly windy and weaker locations in the tenders. According to the ministry, both requirements are crucial for planning security in Bavaria. From Aiwanger's point of view, it is crucial that the federal government does not question the framework conditions again.

Greater pressure on the economic viability of projects

According to the ministry, competition in the tenders under the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) is also increasing. This increases the pressure on the economic viability of new projects. This makes clear and reliable regulation all the more important so that planning associations, local authorities and project developers can work in the long term.

An overview of the figures to date shows the accelerated development in the southern Free State:

Expansion of wind power in Bavaria

Source: Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy

Author: Davina Spohn