Hausach (dpa/lsw) – When visiting a new wind farm in the Black Forest, Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann and the responsible department head Thekla Walker (both Green) promoted the energy transition. The Hohenlochen wind farm near Oberwolfach and Hausach (Ortenaukreis) is an exemplary facility that can supply 22,000 people with green electricity, said Environment and Energy Minister Walker on Thursday. Minister of Justice Marion Gentges (CDU) was also there.
The southwest has been lagging behind in the expansion of wind power for a long time. Up to 1,000 new wind turbines are to be built in the coming years, at least half of them in the state forest. There is a need – and urgency is required. According to the German Wind Energy Association and the VDMA Power Systems trade association, only five new wind turbines were installed in the southwest in the first half of the year. At the end of March around 760 wheels turned in Baden-Württemberg.
In view of the Russia-Ukraine war, the rapid expansion of wind power and photovoltaic systems is the order of the day, said Walker. “Renewable energies are the key to climate protection, independence from autocratic raw material suppliers and security of supply,” said the Green politician. The Hohenlochen Park, which was inaugurated last year, has four wind turbines at a height of around 650 metres.
With the expansion of green electricity from wind and sun, climate goals are to be achieved and dependence on fossil energies such as Russian gas reduced. Kretschmann and Walker also wanted to visit the geothermal power plant in Bruchsal and a substation under construction in Philippsburg (district of Karlsruhe) during a summer trip.
