According to Saxony’s plans, the forest is not to be used as a site for solar power plants. On Tuesday, the cabinet decided to submit a corresponding initiative to the Bundesrat.
Specifically, the proposal calls for the removal of the so-called “balancing process” from the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). In the current version of the EEG, the federal government has classified the construction of renewable energy facilities as a “preeminent public interest” since 2022.
“This regulation means that authorities are virtually unable to reject applications for forest conversion for photovoltaic (PV) projects, even if forestry or ecological reasons argue against it,” the statement said. Saxony is now calling for the removal of this legal priority for PV systems at the expense of the forest.
“PV systems in the forest are completely at odds with our policy goals. The forest is a habitat, a climate protector, a water reservoir, and a recreational area. We bear responsibility for its preservation,” emphasized Forestry Minister Georg-Ludwig von Breitenbuch. Photovoltaic systems should be installed “where they make sense and where no trees have to be cut down,” said the CDU politician.
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