Five GW possible in the short term
According to the paper, around five gigawatts of wind could be connected to the grid in the short term by realizing projects that are currently blocked and ready for construction. This already corresponds to half of the expansion of around 10 GW of wind capacity required by 2024.
The short-term measures include, for example, regulations on the return of contracts already awarded in combination with enabling participation in the next round of tenders. A changed penalty payment regulation (penalty) in the event of project delays would also allow project developers to complete construction projects affected by delivery bottlenecks without being penalized. The simplification of permits for heavy-duty transports is also an effective measure to bring construction-ready plants online at short notice.
Consolidate emergency ordinance
medium termAbove all, Agora Energiewende calls for the temporary EU emergency regulation to be made permanent. In order to quickly develop additional areas, commercial and special building areas would have to be opened up for wind power production and municipalities would have to be given more freedom in designating areas. Politicians should also shorten individual project steps by 2026: the testing effort in the approval process, for example with regard to monument protection issues, and enabling the early start of construction of wind turbines before the approval process is completed.
According to the think tank, the annual expansion for wind energy must be stabilized at a high level from 2026 onwards. However, this will only succeed if additional potential areas are developed and permits are further simplified. The countries would have to speed up wind areas in such a way that project developers could develop many projects in rapid succession.
Simplified environmental and species protection assessment
Agora argues that it is crucial to bring forward the interim target for the provision of wind areas by the federal states in the Wind Energy Area Requirement Act by two years to the end of 2025. At the same time, there is a need for permanent simplification of environmental and species protection assessments. The grouping of wind turbine models in so-called type variant clusters makes it possible to complete projects that have been started with similar models from the variant group.
liability is missing
The Federal Wind Energy Association (BWE) also criticizes the draft of the Federal Ministry of Economics. “The key issues paper lacked the necessary commitment in key areas,” says BWE President Hermann Albers. Federal Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) promised that “the big chunks” would be cleared and only “stones” would remain. “We do not share this assessment.”
The situation remains particularly dramatic when it comes to the issues of space availability, repowering and the duration of the approval process, in particular because of species protection issues, blockages due to military concerns or distances to federal trunk roads.
Positive trend in permits
The second wind peak is announced for the end of April. The BWE hopes that numerous obstacles will still be cleared there. “After the first quarter of 2023, we are seeing a positive trend in new permits: compared to the same period last year, they have increased by around a third,” says BWE President Albers.
The aim should be to approve around 10 GW in all federal states by the end of the year. “The BWE has clearly stated on several occasions which course setting will be necessary for this,” said the association representative. “It is now up to the federal government to promptly cast these measures into laws that must be passed before the parliamentary summer recess.” (jk)