The German Onshore Wind Energy Act is in force and is already being criticised
With the Wind-an-Land Act (WaLG)1, which entered into force on 1 February 2023, the German Federal Government is pursuing an honourable goal. It is intended to provide a tailwind for the expansion of wind energy in Germany. This is also urgently necessary, because the current pace is simply too slow. Several ministries are outperforming each other with sustained ambition here. According to the Renewable Energies Act (EEG), 71 gigawatts (GW) of onshore wind power should be installed in Germany by 2030.2 In its long-term scenarios, the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs would like to have 80 GW at the start3, while the Federal Environment Agency is aiming for an ambitious 105 GW.4
It’s about nothing less than a trend reversal
In order to at least comply with the German Renewable Energies Act, between 1,500 and 2,000 wind turbines would have to be built per year. The reality is quite different: In 2023, 745 new wind turbines were built throughout Germany - an increase compared to previous years, but still far behind the required pace.5 Considering that 895 wind turbines were built throughout Germany in 2014 and 699 in the following year, a decline must clearly be noted.6 The main reasons for the deceleration are, on the one hand, the inadequate designation of areas by the federal states and, on the other hand, their actual usability for onshore wind energy. 7
