German conservatives want to reduce wind turbine lighting to appease critics

Wind turbines in Germany should not be illuminated throughout the whole night as this would gravely impede the acceptance of wind power by local residents, the conservative CDU’s deputy parliamentary group leader Carsten Linnemann told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. “I expect that all turbines are converted to radar technology, which ensures that they are only illuminated if airplanes are approaching,” Linnemann said. A parliamentary commission recently decided that wind power’s acceptance had to be increased, as additional auctions for wind and solar power to improve Germany’s climate action record mean that more turbines are going to soon be built across the country. 

For background, read the CLEW factsheet Fighting windmills: When growth hits resistance.