Green electricity expansion too slow for climate protection
Berlin Despite efforts to accelerate the expansion of green electricity in the energy and climate crisis there is still a lack of momentum, especially in the expansion of wind power. “All in all, it should be noted that the current status of both the area designations and the permits for onshore wind is far from sufficient to achieve the goals set for the expansion of onshore wind energy and there is a need for further acceleration,” reads the statement published on Thursday Conclusion of the federal-state cooperation committee.
However, the committee’s report focuses primarily on the year 2021. Several laws passed by the traffic light coalition can only take effect in 2023. It is envisaged that the federal states will have to reserve an average of two percent of their area for wind energy over the next ten years. It’s currently less than 1 percent.
In order to achieve the climate protection goals, Germany has increased its expansion targets and intends to cover around 80 percent of its electricity consumption with renewable energies by 2030. As a result of the energy crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the expansion is also considered necessary in order to become less dependent on gas, coal or oil.
While the addition of solar energy increased significantly last year to around 5.6 gigawatts of output, it lagged far behind in onshore wind energy at less than two gigawatts. “In order to achieve the increased targets, the growth figures recorded in 2021 must multiply in the coming years: sixfold for onshore wind energy (to ten gigawatts per year) and fourfold for photovoltaics (to 22 gigawatts per year), says the report.
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In southern Germany in particular, wind expansion is not gaining momentum. The reason for this is the lack of designation of areas and lengthy approval procedures. These are more than two years on average. Among other things, they are to be shortened by the fact that future expansion will be in the “overriding public interest” and other concerns will have to take a back seat.
More: “Worrying situation” – The expansion of wind turbines is faltering
