The Thuringian wind dispute over a 1000 meter distance regulation caused a stir nationwide last week. The Ministry of Energy is now submitting a proposal for a regulation. The 1000 meters should therefore come - but not everywhere.
Erfurt (dpa/th) - In the dispute over distance rules for wind turbines in Thuringia and the initially prevented vote on a CDU law with AfD support in the state parliament, those involved continued to approach each other. The Energy Ministry of Anja Siegesmund (Greens) formulated a specific regulation proposal, according to which the minimum distance of 1000 meters from wind turbines to residential buildings required by the CDU could be stipulated almost everywhere in Thuringia - albeit with exceptions. Excerpts of the paper are available to the German Press Agency.
Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) and CDU faction leader Mario Voigt had previously agreed on a similar compromise. Parts of the governing coalition, especially the Greens, felt overwhelmed by the compromise last week.
It is a matter of taking account of the CDU's desire for a fixed distance mark and at the same time providing the municipalities that want to push ahead with the expansion with "enabling planning", Siegesmund now told the dpa. She is ready for constructive talks, but: "I will not accept it if it is still a wind prevention tactic."
The energy policy spokesman for the CDU parliamentary group, Thomas Gottweiss, said: "It's good that the environment minister supports the compromise by Mario Voigt and Bodo Ramelow on the 1,000 meter distance." Detailed questions about repowering and the correct handling of the Brandenburg solution must now be clarified.
Voigt and Ramelow had agreed that the draft law of the CDU should be supplemented with an opening clause and a passage on the replacement and retrofitting of old wind turbines (repowering) based on the model of a regulation in Brandenburg. The 1000 meter rule would remain, but there are exceptions.
According to the paper from the Ministry of Energy, exceptions should be possible if the surrounding communities agree to a smaller distance. In addition, the 1000 meter distance rule should not apply in so-called wind priority areas. In Thuringia, 0.4 percent of the state area is currently designated for the expansion of wind energy. This proportion is to be increased to 2.2 percent. There should also be no minimum distance of 1000 meters for repowering. According to the proposal, the general ban on wind energy in the forest could be lifted.
Gottweiss warned that the search for a compromise should now be concentrated on the amendment to the building code and not overloaded with other areas of regulation. "That's the only way we can quickly find a solution."
As a prerequisite for further talks, Siegesmund stated that the results make the procedures more legally secure, accelerate the expansion of renewable energies and involve people more. She pointed out that in opencast mining, for example, where blasting is carried out, the distance limits are only 300 meters, and in landfills it is 500 meters.
Last week, a draft law by the CDU caused a nationwide stir because of the announced support for the AfD. In it, the party wanted to set a general 1000-meter distance rule. The building code should be changed for this. Because the red-red-green coalition lacks four votes for its own majority, the CDU, AfD and FDP could have pushed the law through the state parliament. Only after the intervention of Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) was the topic postponed. It is now to be dealt with in the upcoming state parliament session on July 13th to 15th.
