Nuclear extension plea and strict wind turbine rules in Bavaria鈥檚 energy plan irk opposition
S眉ddeutsche Zeitung
Bavaria鈥檚 economy minister Hubert Aiwanger鈥檚 presentation of the southern German state鈥檚 energy policy strategy has angered opposition politicians due to the government鈥檚 insistence on its strict wind turbine distance rules and its bid to extend the runtime of the state鈥檚 last nuclear power reactor. The presentation of the 鈥淏avaria Energy Plan鈥� by the government coalition of Aiwanger鈥檚 Free Voters and the conservative CSU of state premier Markus S枚der had been eagerly awaited, given the urgency that the current energy price crisis in Europe has lent to the topic, Andras Glas聽聽in S眉ddeutsche Zeitung. Bavaria already sources about 52 percent of its electricity from renewables, particularly from solar PV installations, but ranks among the states with the lowest wind power capacity in Germany.聽However, Aiwanger said the state government would stick to its controversial 10H-rule, stipulating that new turbines have to be built at a distance to residential buildings equalling at least ten times their own height, which drastically shrinks the available space. The general rule will remain in place, although the government has allowed some exceptions to its strict interpretation. A promise to build 800 new turbines by state premier S枚der was not included in Aiwanger鈥檚 announcement, merely a 鈥渕ultiplication鈥� of the existing capacity, Glas writes. At the same time, Aiwanger called for extending the runtime of the Isar 2 nuclear reactor for several months beyond its scheduled decommissioning at the end of the year, an idea that federal economy minister Robert Habeck from the Green Party 丑补诲听. Bavaria鈥檚 Green Party called the state government鈥檚 plan 鈥減athetic,鈥� while the Social Democrats (SPD) said it would do the state鈥檚 energy transition a disservice.
Industry associations have warned that the economic powerhouse state could lose competitiveness if it fails to fully embrace clean power production. Bavaria's government recently said it aims to greatly increase its renewable power generation capacity but the regional arm of wind industry association BWE criticised the announcement, more clarity was needed how to achieve it.
