GMUND (dpa-AFX) - According to Minister President Markus Soder (CSU), the Bavarian state government intends to stick to its planned mandatory financial participation of citizens in new wind turbines. "Of course, citizen participation will remain part of the wind energy plan – this is currently being finalized," Soder clarified after the cabinet meeting in Tegernsee. He called any statements to the contrary "green scaremongering."

The state government's Green Party members in the state parliament had accused the government of breaking its word over the weekend: According to current plans, there will no longer be any mandatory citizen participation in new wind or solar power plants, criticized Green energy expert Martin Stümpfig, referring to the latest changes to the state government's draft bill. In addition, the participation of those affected locally could be significantly reduced. Soder and Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters) had thus torn the heart out of the announced participation law, he warned.

Aiwanger: Working on a compromise solution

Aiwanger accused the Greens of "alarmism." "We are in talks with the parties involved," he said, adding that a "reasonable compromise solution" would be found. However, he said the situation had changed, there were currently "more important issues" than the Participation Act, and calls for it from municipalities and associations had become quieter – but work was still ongoing.

In the summer of 2024, the cabinet decided that Bavaria's municipalities and directly affected citizens would receive money for every kilowatt hour of electricity fed into the grid from new solar and wind power plants. At the time, Aiwanger said that the new regulation was planned to be "finalized" in early 2025. After the cabinet meeting at the time, he said that the plan was to pay municipalities 0.2 cents per kilowatt hour fed into the grid, with affected citizens receiving 0.1 cents. However, nothing has come of this so far. Most recently, Aiwanger's ministry announced a draft bill for the fall. /ctt/had/dm/DP/zb