Germany Seen Canceling 1,000 Wind Projects as Election Nears

(Bloomberg) -- Germany’s expansion of onshore wind is at risk of a drastic slowdown, with proposed amendments to energy legislation threatening about 1,000 projects, an industry group said.

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A draft bill before parliament cancels a pre-approval process for certain wind farms, a quick procedure that’s helped fast-track many to a full permit. The bill is likely to be passed in the Bundestag before snap elections Feb. 23, since it’s part of a larger energy package that won cross-party support on Monday.

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The changes would result in the “blanket, disproportionate rejection of permit applications,” Hans-Josef Vogel, head of the North-Rhine Westphalia chapter of the German Renewable Energy Federation, said in a statement.

Germany saw record approvals for onshore wind last year after slashing red tape. That reflected a push to diversify energy supplies after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine led to the loss of piped gas from Russia. The government designated renewable projects an “overriding public interest” that served national security, and required states to allocate about 2% of their land for wind turbines.

But local resistance has intensified, with communities demonstrating against the encroachment of vast wind turbines on the landscape. North-Rhine Westphalia, in Germany’s industrial rustbelt, has been a focus for protests, having become the onshore-wind leader among the country’s 16 states.

Cross-Party Backing

Broad support for the draft bill in parliament shows rival parties are managing to cooperate on certain issues, despite the political temperature rising as the far-right AfD polls in second place with four weeks to go to the election.

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There have been “reasonable talks” among parliamentary groups, said Friedrich Merz, chairman of the conservative CDU/CSU, which is currently predicted to win. Economy Minister Robert Habeck, the Green Party’s lead candidate, said the proposed package “is important for the energy transition,” with renewables now “coming of age.”

The sector’s expansion has sparked much debate during the election campaign, with the AfD threatening to dismantle wind parks should it win power. The CDU/CSU’s Merz, who has in the past called windmills “ugly,” said Monday the bill would help North-Rhine Westphalia — where his constituency is based — “regain its planning sovereignty.”

SL NaturEnergie, a company that develops and operates wind parks in the state, said it was in favor of “regional control” but will be “hurt” by the changes.

“For us alone, this will mean the loss of around 20 plant locations,” said Managing Director Milan Nitzschke.

The political reaction was also not entirely positive, with the pro-business Free Democrats saying lawmakers hadn’t been given enough time to study the bill.

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The energy package also includes provisions to cut some solar-energy subsidies, speed up the deployment of smart meters, extend funding for combined heat and power plants and boost bioenergy.

--With assistance from Arne Delfs.

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