ERFURT (dpa-AFX) - The Thuringian state government believes it has secured the backing of other eastern German states in its fight against mandatory land-use quotas for wind turbines. Alongside Thuringia, Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt have issued a joint position in a so-called protocol declaration, the State Chancellery announced. The objective is to introduce a state-level opt-out clause during the planned review of federal legal requirements for land designated for wind turbine construction.
Thuringia had previously submitted a motion for such an opt-out clause to the Bundesrat. "The expansion of renewable energies requires public acceptance - and that is not created by rigid mandates from Berlin," stated Minister President Mario Voigt. According to previous data from the Thuringian Ministry of the Environment, current federal law requires the Free State to reserve 1.8 percent of its land for wind energy production in an initial phase, eventually rising to 2.2 percent.
Thuringia Lags Behind in Wind Power
The expansion of wind power has been a subject of intense debate in Thuringia for years. The Free State continues to lag behind most other federal states in its rollout. Last year, according to recently released figures from the Fachagentur Wind und Solar, 13 turbines with a capacity of 71.6 megawatts (MW) went into operation in the state. Thuringia thus accounted for only 1.4 percent of Germany's total expansion. Among the non-city states, Thuringia ranks second to last, tied with Saxony./zei/DP/men
