Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: State Energy Agency: More speed in wind power expansion

Groß Schwiesow (dpa/mv) - The State Energy and Climate Protection Agency (LEKA MV) expects the Federal Government to set the course again for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with significantly more speed in the expansion of wind power production.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: State Energy Agency: More speed in wind power expansion

Groß Schwiesow (dpa/mv) - The State Energy and Climate Protection Agency (LEKA MV) expects the Federal Government to set the course again for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with significantly more speed in the expansion of wind power production. "If the previous proposals quickly result in legal texts, then the energy transition will also gain momentum again," said LEKA Managing Director Gunnar Wobig on Tuesday during a visit to the wind farm in Groß Schwiesow (Rostock district).

In order to curb climate change and most recently as a reaction to supply problems caused by the war in Ukraine, the German government is making increased efforts to reduce the use of fossil fuels. This should happen, for example, through the increased use of wind and sun. According to the plans, Germany should obtain 80 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, and almost 100 percent from 2035. According to industry information, Germany is currently at 42 percent.

According to Wobig, reduced planning times and increased public acceptance of wind farms are important keys to rapidly increasing green electricity production. The Citizen Participation Act passed by the state and recently confirmed as constitutional by the Federal Constitutional Court shows ways to do this, he said. "Reduced electricity prices are more important to local residents than equity investments in wind farms. In the more than 500 consultations on the law to date, 95 percent of those affected have spoken out in favor of noticeable price reductions."

The State Energy and Climate Protection Agency Mecklenburg-Vorpommern GmbH was founded in 2016 to advise municipalities, companies and citizens on questions of energy efficiency and the energy transition free of charge. It maintains locations in Stralsund, Schwerin and Neustrelitz.

According to the Federal Association of Wind Energy in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, only 19 new wind turbines were installed on land last year, mostly to replace outdated smaller systems. At around 60 megawatts, the gross increase was only half as high as in 2020. According to industry information, there are around 1850 wind turbines nationwide with a total output of 3570 megawatts. That is about half compared to the neighboring state of Schleswig-Holstein.