May 11, 2016
Germany

German govt proposes cutting support for onshore wind energy starting 2017

Reuters | May 11, 2016 | www.reuters.com

The German government has proposed reducing support for onshore wind energy by 7.5 percent for two years from January 2017, according to a draft proposal for a meeting on renewable energy between the federal government and Germany’s 16 states.

That would slow down the rapid construction of onshore wind turbines and would apply to new wind turbines approved in 2017 and 2018, the draft seen by Reuters said.

It also said that support for solar plants producing less than 1 megawatt, of which few are currently being built, should be adjusted more quickly. That would mean that the subsidy rates are cut more slowly than originally planned or could even be increased more quickly if installation of new plants is very low. A minimum amount of support should continue to exist, it said.

If solar energy production reaches 52 gigawatts in Germany as a whole, no plants should get a set amount of support, the draft said. (Reporting by Markus Wacket; Writing by Joseph Nasr; Editing by Michelle Martin)

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2016/05/11/german-govt-proposes-cutting-support-for-onshore-wind-energy-starting-2017/