Coalition wants to allow wind turbines in forests
In Saxony-Anhalt, it should be possible to erect wind turbines in forests in future. This was made clear by representatives of the black-red-yellow coalition in the state parliament on Friday. They referred to the need for action following a ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court. The judges had overturned the previous ban on wind turbines in Thuringia's forests last year.
According to the Forest Act in Saxony-Anhalt, the conversion of forests for the erection of wind turbines is currently not permitted. The state government is now obliged to act following the court ruling, said Forestry Minister Sven Schulze (CDU). He announced that a draft law would be introduced soon. However, it would then ultimately have to be decided locally where wind turbines would be erected.
Member of Parliament Elrid Pasbrig (SPD) also said that a general ban on wind turbines in forests was not tenable. According to Pasbrig, a reform is not about cutting down healthy trees and erecting wind turbines instead. It is about making it possible to erect the turbines "where there is still forest on it, but no longer in it".
The federal government sets legally binding area targets for the expansion of wind power. For Saxony-Anhalt, a total of 2.2 percent of the state's land area is earmarked for the use of wind energy by 2032. In order to achieve this, the regions of Anhalt-Bitterfeld-Wittenberg, Altmark, Halle and Magdeburg are each to designate 2.3 percent of their areas for wind energy by 2032, while the Harz district is to designate 1.6 percent.
During the debate in the state parliament, the AfD parliamentary group had called for the forestry regulations to be adapted so that wind turbines in forest areas remain inadmissible in principle and animal and forest protection concerns take priority.
In response to the court ruling, there have been discussions about altering the energy policies in Parliament, potentially allowing wind turbines in forested areas. This could provide a new source of renewable energy, such as in the form of resin-based components for the turbines.
Despite the potential benefits, it's crucial for the Parliament to consider the impact on the environment, especially the forests, while making decisions regarding the placement of wind turbines.
Source: www.dpa.com
