Most German states have no interest in wind power minimum-distance rules

Bavaria is the only German state that made use of a law to set its own minimum distance for wind turbines from residential buildings, the German government has said in an answer to a parliamentary inquiry by the Free Democrats (FDP). The government says there is no indication that a minimum distance leads to greater acceptance of wind power among citizens, and says the visibility of turbines and involvement of citizens in the planning stages play a much greater role. The government says the states’ general construction regulations and the German immission protection law (BImschG) are sufficient to ensure “reasonable” distances.

Find the inquiry in German here and the answer in German here.

See the CLEW factsheets Fighting windmills: when growth hits resistance and From survey to harvest: How to build a wind farm in Germany for more information.