New plants are also needed for more electricity from wind. But where should they stand? In any case, they should be distributed fairly to all regions of the state, emphasized the state government after a meeting with representatives of all six planning regions.
Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) – The plans for the expansion of wind energy in North Rhine-Westphalia are taking shape. After a meeting with representatives of the six NRW planning regions, the state government emphasized on Tuesday that the wind energy areas should be distributed as fairly as possible among these regions. “This lays the basis for the necessary balance between the legitimate interests of the people and the necessary expansion of wind energy,” said the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The background is a new law, according to which the federal states must designate two percent of the area for wind energy by the end of 2032.
The potential for wind energy in North Rhine-Westphalia is currently being examined, it said. From this, a fair distribution to the six planning regions of the regional planning is derived. The new state development plan with the area specifications for the six regions should be decided in spring 2023 in the state cabinet. This is followed by a nationwide participation process. The planning process should be completed in spring 2024.
The changes in the regional plans should largely take place parallel to the change in the state development plan. The spatial definition of the wind energy areas is to be made in the regional plans of the six planning regions. Public participation is planned.
“The topic of renewable energies, including the use of wind energy, is currently moving people in the regions,” stated Economics Minister Mona Neubaur (Greens). It is therefore important to involve and support the regions. For the spatial definition of the wind energy areas, a solidarity between state and regional planning is needed in order to be able to achieve the goals as best and as quickly as possible.
The head of the State Chancellery, Nathanel Liminski (CDU), emphasized: “We are bringing the protection of local residents on the one hand and the preservation of biodiversity on the other hand into the right balance.” For this purpose, the wind energy areas will be distributed fairly between the regions and the scope of species and nature conservation law will be used and enlarged.
