E.ON board member demands changes for onshore wind power auctions

German utility E.ON’ chief operating officer for grids and renewable energies, Leonhard Birnbaum, demands a change to the country’s onshore wind power auctions to ensure that professional wind power project developers cannot benefit from advantages given to citizens’ energy projects, Dow Jones Newswires reports. In Germany’s first wind power auction in May, citizens’ initiatives appeared to secure the lion’s share of projects, but evidence now suggests many of these bids “in reality were made by professional project developers,” the article says. Birnbaum seconded a call by turbine manufacturer Enercon for all bidders, regardless of their commercial status, to be required to submit the so-called immission law license (BImschG) to take part in auctions.

See the CLEW article Citizens’ energy projects dominate first onshore wind power auction and the CLEW factsheet From survey to harvest: How to build a wind farm in Germany for more information.