Munich (dpa / lby) – Business and politics in Bavaria have welcomed the decision of the Bundestag to further promote small hydroelectric power plants. “This is good news for all operators in Bavaria and for the regional power supply in the Free State,” said Manfred Gößl, General Manager of the Bavarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BIHK), on Thursday.
The hydroelectric power plants are controversial, among other things because they usually require structural interventions in the natural course of the water – with effects on fish and other animals and plants. The proponents claim that the many small hydroelectric power plants with an output of less than 500 kilowatts, which are particularly widespread in Bavaria, can generate electricity for 300,000 people, which is an important contribution to security of supply, especially in the current energy crisis.
60 percent of German hydropower plants are in Bavaria, said BIHK boss Gößl. He emphasized that the Bundestag decision has now created the legal basis for speeding up renewable energies. “Time-consuming bureaucracy and lengthy administrative procedures have slowed us down for far too long.”
Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) and Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters) have been publicly calling for the continued support of small hydropower plants for weeks in the ongoing energy debate.
The decision in Berlin was welcomed across party lines. The energy policy spokeswoman for the CSU parliamentary group in the state parliament, Kerstin Schreyer, emphasized: “Our commitment in recent weeks at all political levels has paid off.” The FDP also welcomed the decision. SPD state chairwoman Ronja Endres emphasized: “Bavaria in particular benefits from further funding for hydropower – as close to nature as possible.”
