Urban Wind Turbines: An Innovative Urban Development Strategy
Venturing Ahead: the Wind Turbine Saga in Berlin
Gunnar Schupelius jumps right into it, stirring up some sturdy opinions.
Here's the lowdown: Berlin's Senate has its radar set on eight sites for wind turbines. But instead of raising the anchor, it should hoist the banner in the Bundesrat - declaring no wind turbines within the city limits.
Last week, the Senate approved a resolution, securing eight wind turbine sites for Berlin – as written in the Gazette. Two sites reside in Grunewald – one south of Nikolassee and another north of Teufelsberg. Jungfernheide in Reinickendorf, the former Rieselfields in Gatow, Krummendammer Heath in Treptow-Köpenick, Wartenberg/Falkenberg in Lichtenberg, and Blankenfelde/Arkenberge and Buchholz Nord in Pankow are also included on the list. Presently, Pankow sports six wind turbines, representing the only wind-powered apparatus within Berlin.
Senator for Urban Development Gaebler (SPD) is revising land use plans to ensure smooth sailing for wind turbine construction. He's toeing the line of a federal law Economics Minister Habeck (Greens) pushed through, nicknamed the "Act to Increase and Accelerate the Expansion of Onshore Wind Energy Facilities." Effective February 1, 2022, it compels all federal states to erect a specified number of wind turbines.
The law demands Berlin to allot 0.25 percent of its area for wind turbine construction by the end of 2027, and 0.5 percent by 2032. Equating to 450 hectares, approximately the size of Tegel Airport, this much space is earmarked for wind energy generation.
Expert calculations suggest wind speeds at about 150 meters above Berlin sustain blade rotation. To keep power generation efficient, wind turbines reaching heights of up to 270 meters are planned. These towering devices would nearly scape the heights of the TV tower.
Facing the Gusts of Resistance
Resistance is beginning to form in the districts. Spandau district mayor Thorsten Schatz (CDU) flatly rejects the Rieselfields as a site, considering them a protected landscape area. Treptow-Köpenick, conversely, deems the Krummendammer Heath in Friedrichshagen unsuitable.
From next Tuesday, Berliners can air their feelings about the proposed sites through the portal www.mein.berlin.de. Opposition is bound to be fierce, as wind turbines are broadly unpopular and threatening to avian life.
But the opposition may just be blowing in the wind, as the federal government effectively mutes environmental and wildlife protection during wind turbine construction. Wind power plants can be built remarkably close to the nesting sites of even rare bird species. The list of bird species requiring risk assessments has been significantly trimmed, and the compensation payments for wind power operators are capped. Suddenly, the sanctity of nature protection takes a back seat.
Quite frankly, these wind behemoths don't belong in the city – it's a bonkers thought. The Senate insists on pressing ahead with the plan. Instead, it should advocate in the Bundesrat for a change in the wind turbine law.
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- In the face of the wind turbine saga in Berlin, Gunnar Schupelius's bold stand has sparked heated discussions.
- The German federal law, known as the "Act to Increase and Accelerate the Expansion of Onshore Wind Energy Facilities," is compelling states like Berlin to increase their renewable energy sources, particularly wind turbines.
- The Senate's plan to allot 450 hectares, equivalent to the size of Tegel Airport, for wind turbine construction, as stated in the Gazette, has raised concerns in environmental science about the impact on the environment and climate-change efforts.
- Politics and policy-and-legislation are crucial in this wind turbine saga as they will significantly influence the future of Berlin's energy landscape.
- Finance plays a vital role in the wind turbine saga, with industry observers waiting to see how the investments in renewable energy will pan out in the general news.
