Great wind power expansion in Berlin: Citizens can have a say until July 11th!

Great wind power expansion in Berlin: Citizens can have a say until July 11th!

Berlin, Deutschland - The signs are on wind power in Berlin: The Senate has launched an ambitious plan to provide around 637 soccer fields (446 hectares) for forest and agricultural areas for use of wind energy. This initiative is another step in the energy transition and is to be realized by 2032. Eight new areas that could potentially be shown for wind power use include parts of the Grunewald, Gatower Rieselfelder, Jungfernheide and various agricultural areas. It is crucial that Berlin has to show at least 0.25% by 2027 and by 2032 0.5% of the country area as wind energy areas, as the Winden energy area requirements (WindbG) of 2022 defines. According to Berlin Journal

The discussion about the expansion produces both supporters and critics. While environmentalists warn that particularly sensitive areas such as the Grunewald, the habitat for endangered animal species, are very affected by the plans, the Senate Administration sees the need for sustainable energy future. The topic is complex, because in addition to the climate protection agenda, nature conservation issues must also be taken into account. Citizens have the opportunity to submit statements on the plans by July 11, 2025, whereby the final decision on the wind locations is expected to be made in 2026.

concrete locations and citizen participation

Three of the new locations for wind power can be found in Pankow, including Blankenfelde/Akenberge, Buchholz Nord and the Wartenberg/Falkenberg landscape. In the Grunewald, wind turbines on the Teufelsberg (Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district) and in the southern part of Steglitz-Zehlendorf are planned. Other potential locations are Krummendammer Heide in Treptow-Köpenick, Rieselfelder Gatow in Spandau and Jungfernheide/Tegel in Reinickendorf. With only 0.25 percent of the country area as possible winds, Berlin is faced with the challenge of finding suitable locations, especially since many have to leave due to nature and species protection laws, such as rbb24 reported.

The potential heights of the planned wind turbines are still uncertain, possible heights could fluctuate between 150 and 230 meters. Even if citizen participation plays a major role here, there are technical difficulties in the Senate online participation portal, which make it difficult for a liquid introduction of opinions and ideas. Despite the challenges, the Senate promises to include all statements in the plans.

Financial citizen participation as an opportunity

The various options for financial citizen participation that could be well received are particularly interesting. According to a current guide from Eeco are tailored to promote and are offered acceptance for renewable energies. Different models are presented in the guidelines, which range from the electricity bonus to the resident electricity model. This should not only support the project providers, but also to state the projects, energy suppliers and municipalities to better structure their approaches and actively involve the citizens.

summarized it is shown that the plans for expansion of wind turbines in Berlin are a complex interplay of ecological, social and economic aspects. The next few months will therefore be crucial to clarify how these plans can ultimately be implemented without the valuable nature of Berlin suffering from a fee.