Over the next few years, two percent of the country’s area will be reserved for wind energy alone.
(Photo: IMAGO/Arnulf Hettrich)
Berlin The Bundestag has paved the way for an accelerated expansion of renewable energies. With the votes of the traffic light groups, parliament passed a legislative package on Thursday that is intended to increase the share of wind, solar and hydropower to 80 percent of electricity consumption by 2030.
Most recently it was almost half. For this purpose, it is anchored that the expansion is of “outstanding public interest”, which should also simplify planning and approval. Over the next few years, two percent of the country’s area will be reserved for wind energy alone.
Distance rules for buildings fall if the federal states do not meet their respective requirements. The legislative package also includes amendments to the Nature Conservation Act so that it does not stand in the way of expansion.
The traffic light justifies its actions with climate protection – but also with the Russian war against Ukraine and security policy. Economics Minister Robert Habeck spoke of an urgently needed project because of past failures: “We are also giving an important signal in terms of industrial policy.”
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The designation of two percent of the country’s area for wind energy was particularly controversial. It is currently only around 0.8 percent. 0.5 percent is actually used. The aim is to double the output of wind turbines on land to 115 gigawatts by 2030.
By then, the installed solar power should have almost tripled. Among other things, subsidy rates will be improved and the use of photovoltaics over agricultural land will be made possible. Hydrogen power plants, which could replace natural gas plants on a small scale, are also to be promoted for the first time.
The federal government was not able to assert itself with the proposal that the energy sector as a whole should no longer produce any CO2 by 2035. In addition, under pressure from the FDP, the regulation was deleted, according to which additional profits from plant operators of green electricity due to the high electricity prices will in future be skimmed off via so-called differential contracts.
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