Wind power expansion faces political hurdles in NRW
The new governing coalition of conservative CDU and economic liberal FDP in Germany's most populous federal state North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) seems intent on curbing wind power expansion but is hit by resistance from the job-creating industry, Guido M. Hartmann writes in Welt am Sonntag. The coalition agreement says new installations had to maintain a distance of at least 1,500 metres to residential areas. Renewable energy advocates fear that this could severely damage an industry employing about 19,000 people in the state, he writes. NRW鈥檚 new government assures that 鈥渢here will be further expansion鈥� but German wind turbine market leader Enercon calls the policy 鈥渕yopic鈥�. Utility innogy board member Hans B眉nting says 鈥渨e鈥檇 like to keep investing鈥� in wind power in NRW, but the new rules seemed to make implementation of many planned projects impossible.
Read the article in German .
For background, read the 威力彩玩法 dossier Onshore wind power in Germany.