Petition for wind turbines in the forest: Mayor calls for a rethink!

Petition for wind turbines in the forest: Mayor calls for a rethink!

Something is happening in the Strelitz region when it comes to wind energy. The non-party mayor of Hohenzieritz, Peter Strobl, has sent a petition to the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state parliament. In doing so, he is calling for a rethink in area planning for wind turbines. Wind turbines are to be built on over 20 areas in the region, but this is not without controversy in the community. Especially because areas with protected status are also affected, Strobl expresses concerns about the historical cultural landscape of the Central Mecklenburg Lake District. It is important to preserve these cultural values ​​without losing sight of the growing importance of wind energy, as Nordkurier reports.

In his petition, Strobl emphasizes that the community is not generally against wind power, but sees an alternative in the form of planting wind turbines in forest areas. This idea is not entirely new, because in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania there is an exclusion criterion for areas with over 500 hectares of forest that does not exist in other federal states. That could now change if Strobl has his way: He advocates opening up monoculture forests for wind planning without endangering species protection and fire protection. Around 100 hectares of forest would have to be cleared per wind turbine, but part of it, i.e. around 50 hectares, could regenerate as mixed forest.

Expansion of wind power as the key to the energy future

Wind energy is playing an increasingly central role in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, not only for generating energy, but also for strengthening the region's economy. The state government is pursuing the ambitious goal of covering all energy needs from renewable sources by 2035. Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig has announced an expansion of 6 gigawatts of wind power for 2025, which means around 12 terawatt hours of electricity per year. This could ensure an independent and sustainable energy future, as Windcomm highlights.

The flat landscape of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as well as the low population density offer excellent conditions for wind power. The expansion of the wind turbines will not only advance the region ecologically, but also create numerous jobs and at the same time allow the local economy to boom. The wind energy capacity currently amounts to an impressive 3,573 megawatts from onshore systems, supplemented by regional offshore wind farms.

Citizen participation: Another step towards acceptance

Another important element in the context of wind energy is the state government's Citizen and Community Participation Act. This law is intended to ensure that the population is more closely involved in the process. Residents within a five-kilometer radius of wind farms have the opportunity to participate in the profits of the wind farms in the form of savings bonds or fixed-term deposits. This not only minimizes the risk for private investors, but also ensures that part of the profits stay in the region. The interest rate on these investments is usually above the usual market rates, which makes the commitment more appealing to citizens, as the [government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania](https://www.regierung-mv.de/Landesregierung/wm/Energie/Wind/B%C3%BCrger-und-Kommunal Beteiligungsgesetz/) explains.

In summary, it can be said that wind power is not only an important part of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's energy policy, but also represents an opportunity for the region. It will be exciting to see how Mayor Strobl's petition develops and whether the idea of ​​integrating wind turbines into forest areas will be heard in the political landscape.