Energy - Lower Saxony continues to expand wind energy in development
Lower Saxony increased the pace of wind energy expansion more than the national trend in the first half of the year. According to industry data, 53 new wind turbines with a total capacity of 296 Megawatt were built between the North Sea and the Harz region - eleven percent more than in the first half of the previous year.
However, nationwide, significantly fewer new wind turbines went online than the previous year. This is evident from an analysis by the German Wind Energy Association and the German Machinery and Plant Engineering Association.
Lower Saxony was able to defend its leading position as the number one wind energy state with this. Roughly a fifth of the nationwide installed total capacity falls solely on Lower Saxony. In terms of expansion, Lower Saxony ranked second among the 16 federal states, narrowly behind North Rhine-Westphalia (62 installations with a capacity of 298 Megawatt).
Lower Saxony's Minister President Stephan Weil recently announced that he wanted to continue investing. "There's definitely a new dynamism there. But we haven't reached the level we want to achieve in order to meet very ambitious targets in Lower Saxony," said the SPD politician at the beginning of May. The state government has the ambition to add 1500 Megawatt of capacity each year through wind energy. "It would be a huge mistake to relax now."
- Despite a decrease in national wind energy construction and expansion, the energy sector in North Sea's neighboring region, Lower Saxony, witnessed an accelerated build-up, surpassing the federal trend.
- The city of Hannover, located in Lower Saxony, could potentially benefit from this ongoing expansion, as the state aims to construct and install an additional 1500 Megawatt of wind energy capacity each year.
- Berlin, the country's capital, may need to consider adopting similar strategies to Lower Saxony, given its commitment to lowering greenhouse gas emissions and addressing climate change, as wind energy plays a crucial role in achieving these goals.
- The successful implementation of wind energy projects in the North Sea region, such as the one in Lower Saxony, could set a positive trend for other federal states to embrace and contribute to Germany's wider climate and energy targets.
