Federal Economics and Climate Minister Robert Habeck traveled to Bavaria to promote his reforms of the Renewable Energy Sources Act. There he met Prime Minister Markus Söder. He had demanded concessions from him for faster wind energy expansion, but was met with skepticism. “As much as it is right to make progress with the expansion of photovoltaics, to repower and strengthen geothermal energy and hydropower. We also need ecological patriotism when expanding difficult wind power technologies.” He identified a main problem in the Bavarian distance rules for residential buildings, which stipulate at least ten times the height of the wind turbines. Habeck wants to use 2 percent of a state area for wind power. Söder sees this critically: “For us, wind is a building block, but not the only issue. We have of course noted that it is important from the point of view of the federal government. That could be because it may not be the best patch that the The topography isn’t ideal for the wind. We’re just skeptical about the two percent, because two percent means 200,000 football pitches, which we then have to identify with the wind. That’s at least a very big ambition.” Only about a dozen new wind turbines were built in Bavaria last year. Much more cars are built and rolled off the assembly line at the Bavarian car manufacturer BMW. Habeck then visited the main plant in Munich and took a look at the new electric model. The Green Economics Minister and CEO Oliver Zipse seemed to get along well: “Basically, we’re no longer arguing about whether, maybe we’re not arguing at all anymore, but we’re talking about the next steps, the necessary adjustments to funding programs, support in value chains. But we’re not talking about if we should do it anymore, only about how. And that’s very, very good news.” “I believe that the federal government, together with society, has set out on the path that we need more sustainable energy and sustainable energy is wind power and solar. And I think we should do everything, including in a social discourse, to support this growth in the It is not only necessary to provide support, but also to look for ways so that no other damage occurs. And I think that we are not at the end of the discussion in Bavaria either.” Habeck wants to almost triple the pace of reducing climate-damaging emissions with several laws. He wants to launch a first climate protection package by the end of April, and a second in the summer. Federal Economics and Climate Minister Habeck is demanding concessions from the Bavarian Prime Minister Söder for faster wind energy expansion.