Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: New distance rules for wind turbines decided!

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: New distance rules for wind turbines decided!

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania there is a significant change in building law that affects both new wind turbines and replacement systems. How Tixio reported, wind power projects will in future have to maintain minimum distances of 1,000 meters from closed settlements and 800 meters from fragmented settlements. Previously, this only applied to new wind priority areas, which often led to confusion in practice, especially in regions without current wind suitability planning.

Politicians from the SPD and Left government factions emphasize that this regulation is not only intended to eliminate uncertainty, but also to increase the population's acceptance of the expansion of wind power. Falko Beitz, the energy policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, emphasizes that the expansion of wind power remains ambitious, but that local residents must be taken into account. The change in the law will be implemented via the existing implementing law for the building code in order to reduce bureaucratic effort.

Reactions to the change in the law

The introduction of these distance regulations does not come without resistance. While the state government wants to gain the support of the population, opposition figures such as Petra Federau from the AfD are expressing concerns about the energy transition in general. In addition, Wolfgang Waldmüller from the CDU is calling for the distances to be significantly increased, similar to those in Bavaria. In Bavaria, the so-called “10 H regulation” applies, which stipulates minimum distances of ten times the height of the wind turbine, which can lead to a distance of up to 2,000 meters for modern turbines.

In this context, the question arises as to how the legislative process in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is progressing. As of June 30, 1,853 wind turbines with a total output of 3,852 megawatts were installed in the country, which accounts for 5.9% of the total in Germany. Nevertheless, the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG) has requirements for distance regulations that vary from state to state. The regulations range from 400 to 1,000 meters, although North Rhine-Westphalia requires significantly more.

Challenges for wind power expansion

The situation in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania shows that the approval procedures for new wind turbines are among the longest compared to other countries, lasting around 45 months. This is in stark contrast to the national average of just 18 months. Experts like those of DIW point out that general minimum distance regulations could significantly reduce the availability of land for wind energy. Studies show that they do not even significantly increase acceptance among residents.

It remains to be seen whether the new regulations will actually have the desired effect and promote the expansion of wind power. One thing is certain for the state government: without solid local support, the expansion of wind power will not be successful. The first steps have been taken and the first readings of the law have already taken place. Now the question remains whether the population is behind the project.