Olaf Gericke, the president of the North Rhine-Westphalia district council, warned about increasing resistance towards new wind turbines and called for changes to the law regarding repowering. Gericke told the “Rheinische Post” on Tuesday that the success of developing renewable energy is currently seeing localized declines in public acceptance. He noted, “There was a long period of calm, but now complaints are increasing. This is partly due to repowering, which is causing more wind turbines to appear outside designated wind energy zones”. He explained that under current law, for permits issued until 2030, replacing a smaller turbine with a higher one within a zone allows for the new higher turbine to be built within a specified radius, even outside the zone. Furthermore, existing turbines outside the zones can be upgraded to greater heights. Gericke demanded that these “outgrowths” in wind power development must be eliminated. He insisted that the Federal level must amend both the Immission Control Act and construction planning law. Specifically, he argued that repowering outside of designated wind energy zones should no longer be permitted, and any structures taken out of service must be decommissioned. Additionally, local municipalities should retain the ability to designate extra areas through their local planning authority. In addition to this, Gericke urged for greater predictability for the public, stating that if state and regional politics promise to concentrate turbines in one area while keeping others free, this commitment must be followed through.
NRW Landkreistag Warns Over Resistance to New Wind Turbines Demands Law Changes
