- Meyer: permitting procedures for wind turbines too long
Given the sluggish progress in expanding wind power, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's Minister of Economics, Reinhard Meyer (SPD), has advocated for faster approval procedures. In particular, onshore expansion is being hindered by "often excessively long approval procedures". "To fully exploit our vast locational advantage as a wind-rich coastal region, we need to pick up the pace in both onshore and offshore wind power expansion," said Meyer at the Rostock Wind conference.
He advised the authorities responsible for planning and approvals to adopt "a healthy dose of pragmatism". The energy transition offers Mecklenburg-Vorpommern significant future opportunities that should be seized. The state government's goal is for citizens living near wind turbines to benefit from the revenues. To this end, the Citizen and Municipality Participation Act is being revised.
By 2035, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern aims to cover its entire energy demand, including heating and mobility, from renewable sources. This will require significant expansion. Currently, 1,859 wind turbines generate electricity in MV. In neighboring Schleswig-Holstein, there are 3,238. The installed capacity there is 522 kilowatts per square kilometer, roughly three times higher than in MV.
According to the consulting firm Deutsche Windguard, North Rhine-Westphalia led the federal state comparison in the first half of 2024 with 298 megawatts (MW) of new capacity, closely followed by Lower Saxony with 296 MW. Schleswig-Holstein, which had the highest growth in 2022 and 2023, ranks third with 247 MW. Together with Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt, which are also among the strongest federal states in the first half of 2024, the top group accounts for 85% of the total German gross additions. In MV, it was 39 MW.
The Minister of Economics suggested expediting the approval processes for wind turbines, highlighting that lengthy procedures are hindering onshore expansion. To fully leverage Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's potential as a wind-rich region, more emphasis should be placed on both onshore and offshore wind turbine expansion.
