The Greens in the state parliament warn the CSU against merely “tinkering” with the 10H minimum distance rule for wind turbines. The changes planned so far are doomed to fail, said Green energy expert Martin Stümpfig on Wednesday, shortly before the CSU faction’s deliberations on this in the afternoon. “Without a binding designation of two percent of the country’s area for wind power, it will not work,” emphasized Stümpfig.
The 10H rule defines the minimum distance between a wind turbine and the nearest residential area: this must be ten times the height of the wheel. Since the introduction of the controversial regulation, the expansion of wind power in Bavaria has practically come to a standstill. Now Prime Minister Markus Söder and the CSU want to soften the strict regulation. However, it is unclear whether Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) will ultimately be sufficient with the Bavarian concept – or whether 10H will ultimately be overturned by a nationwide regulation.
In a paper that was sent out within the CSU parliamentary group on Tuesday, the CSU lists several “potential changes” from 10H that have been discussed so far. In all these cases, “if they were decided”, a new minimum distance of 1000 meters to the next residential building should apply in the future. This should apply to the partial or complete replacement of existing wind turbines, also with more powerful turbines; in state, corporate, and private forests, as well as in federal forests; in priority areas for wind power in regional planning; on so-called pre-loaded areas (due to “significant transport infrastructure”); on military training areas; and for wind turbines as “ancillary systems” of commercial enterprises.
Green politician Stümpfig said: “The tinkering with 10H should continue. The relaxations now planned for 10H will not turn the wind power prevention rule into a wind power expansion turbo. But we need that.” The cornerstone for a strong expansion is the designation of two percent suitable areas in the regional planning associations. This has not been planned so far. “Without this binding definition, however, expansion will continue to falter.” “In the next few years, some systems will be built along the motorway, some in the existing priority areas, some in the forests – but that’s not enough and we’re losing valuable years again,” said Stümpfig. “But we need an increase of 170 plants per year as soon as possible – and that over 10 years.” But for that, the 10H rule must be abolished.
After the deliberations in the CSU parliamentary group in the afternoon, Söder and parliamentary group leader Thomas Kreuzer want to inform about the results.