Kraushaar: A General Moratorium on Wind Turbines Is Not Possible

According to Infrastructure Minister Regina Kraushaar, a general halt to wind power expansion in Saxony is not possible. “The federal legislature has made sure that it’s not that easy,” the CDU politician said in Dresden. For example, a plant operator is entitled to a permit if they meet all the requirements.

Intense discussion within the government

These legal requirements cannot simply be bypassed. “If anything, we need to bring some order to these matters,” said Kraushaar. Intense discussions are currently taking place within the government on this issue. “Are there still options for Bundesrat initiatives or legislative changes? Can we do anything?” The government plans to comment on this in more detail next week.

However, in Kraushaar’s view, an approach like the one in Brandenburg—where the state government intervenes in federal law—is not an option. “That would fall apart like a dry roll if someone filed a lawsuit against it,” she emphasized.

Kraushaar: Consider Differences Between Regions

One possible area for intervention could be the land-use targets: According to federal regulations, 1.3 percent of the state’s land area is to be designated for wind energy by 2027, rising to 2 percent by 2032. The planned evaluation of these targets never took place, according to Kraushaar. The differences between the regions must be taken into account. “In the north, we have federal states that want 3 percent—some even more—because they don’t face the same problems as we do here in Saxony due to their offshore facilities or the great distance from residential areas.”

She generally described the expansion of wind power as the right and important thing to do, but at the same time acknowledged a problem with public acceptance. “But I also want to make it very clear that this is by no means a Saxon phenomenon,” she added. In many other federal states, too, the expansion is perceived as a burden.