Source: Energy & Management Powernews, January 13, 2022
In his climate assessment of Germany, Economics Minister Habeck (Greens) had claimed two percent of the land area in each state for wind power. This met with protest from the CSU.
Federal Minister for Climate Protection Robert Habeck (Greens) had presented on January 11 his immediate program to achieve the German climate protection goals. A core element is the faster expansion of electricity production from renewable sources. To achieve this, he said, each state would have to set aside two percent of its land for wind turbines.
In Bavaria, the 10H distance rule currently prevents the construction of wind turbines because they have to be ten times the distance of their height from the nearest residential building in order to be granted privileges under building law in outdoor areas. Habeck said, "Where distance rules are held up in order to carry out prevention planning, they can no longer remain in place." This had caused protest from the CSU.
CSU Secretary General Markus Blume said in Munich, "The 10H rule will not be shaken. It ensures acceptance and provides for citizen participation." Habeck now promised to travel to Bavaria and the other German states in a timely manner to find a joint solution. The Association of Bavarian Business (VBW) would also like to overturn the 10H rule, because he sees the state's power supply at risk after the last nuclear power plant is shut down at the end of this year.
Much approval for the immediate program
For the rest, the announcements of the climate protection minister elicited mostly positive reactions. The German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE) hopes for the dawn of "a new era" in energy policy. "Habeck has recognized the urgent need for action in climate protection and for a sustainable business location," praised association president Simone Peter. Greenpeace climate expert Lisa Göldner said, "Awakening is in the air."
For coalition partner SPD parliamentary group vice-president Matthias Miersch said, referring to the old partner Union: "After years of having to struggle for any progress with the coalition partner, it feels good to pull together." The climate expert of the coalition partner FDP, Lukas Köhler, said the energy turnaround was getting new momentum. However, he turned against a duty for solar plants on private buildings.
Julia Klöckner, economic policy spokeswoman of the Unionsfraction, demanded that in view of massively rising costs for energy and climate protection, action must be taken immediately and the EEG levy on the electricity price must not be abolished until 2023. The CDU faction in the Schwerin state parliament complained that the immediate program would probably be enforced against people in rural areas.
Business ready for the energy turnaround
"Federal Minister of Economics Habeck is going at a fast pace right at the start and is setting the right priorities with his immediate program," praised Kerstin Andreae, chief executive of the industry association BDEW. This, she said, would provide a real opportunity for shackles and brakes that had stifled the expansion of renewables to be released. "It is also enormously important that Federal Minister Habeck today once again emphasized the need to add gas-fired power plants," Andreae said. This was the only way to phase out coal while maintaining a high level of supply security. The minister rightly addressed the issue of a shortage of skilled workers.
On behalf of the municipal utilities, VKU CEO Ingbert Liebing said, "We can only encourage the Federal Minister of Economics to make more speed in climate protection." What matters now, he said, is that the proposals are quickly anchored in law and that the measures can be implemented in practice. The municipal utilities are ready to implement the energy transition locally, Liebing assured.
For the Federation of German Industries (BDI) President Siegfried Rußwurm welcomed Habeck's inventory as realistic and unsparing. It coincided with the calculations of the industry, he said. In the announced reform of the charges, levies, taxes and fees in the energy system, it needs relief for the industry. "All companies are suffering from sharply rising energy and electricity costs, which are increasingly threatening their existence," warned Rußwurm.
The Tüv Association welcomed the acceleration announced by Habeck. According to him, safety aspects should be taken into account to a greater extent in order to increase acceptance. The Federation of Technical Inspection Agencies reiterated its long-standing demand for uniform federal rules for "independent" testing of wind turbines, shorter testing intervals and a reassessment of test points. The German Wind Energy Association (BWE) considers this superfluous.
Author: Susanne Harmsen