Hardly Green By Southwest? When it comes to renewable energies and green tech, the otherwise so innovative and busy Baden-Württemberg, aka “The Länd” – unfortunately hardly comes out of the quark.
Above all, the expansion of wind power in the southwest is progressing very slowly: the wind turbines and systems are showing their age. The FDP warns against a wave of dismantling.
Criticism also comes from another opposition party.
Wind turbines are over 11 years old on average
The 761 wind turbines in BW Land are on average 11.4 years old (as of the end of 2022). The usual service life of a system is 20 to 25 years and depends on business considerations, said the Ministry of the Environment in response to a question from the FDP parliamentary group in the state parliament.
Their spokesman for energy policy, Frank Bonath, said in Stuttgart: “Under green and black, the number of plants has continuously aged. The net increase has been zero for years.” A comprehensive wave of dismantling is imminent.
Greentech Baden Württemberg: Wind power expansion stagnates in The Länd
According to an evaluation by the Onshore Wind Energy Agency, the expansion of wind power in Baden-Württemberg is still progressing slowly. According to preliminary figures from the beginning of April, only five wind turbines with a total output of 18 megawatts were connected to the grid in the southwest in the first quarter of the current year.
According to the association at the time, the number of permits is particularly important. These are also only making slow progress in Baden-Württemberg. According to the evaluation, only one new wind turbine was approved in the first quarter of the new year.
At least 100 new wind turbines by 2024
Last autumn, Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) set the goal of having at least 100 new wind turbines in the country by 2024. FDP politician Bonath said: “Instead of using planned economy methods to force the construction of individual plants and fighting for the past in energy policy, green-black should finally push ahead with the modernization of the energy infrastructure in the country.”
Problems with the energy transition in the southwest
In the electricity transmission network alone, a backlog of almost 600 kilometers has built up, driving up electricity costs and putting a strain on the economy.
The SPD parliamentary group leader in the state parliament, Andreas Stoch, was also critical. “Unfortunately, these figures underpin the problems of the energy transition in the southwest,” said Stoch. He accused the green-black state government of endangering climate protection and Baden-Württemberg as a business location.
“Just talking about new wind turbines is not enough, you also have to build some,” said Stoch, according to a statement.