Wind power in the Oberland: communities fight for space and opinion!

Wind power in the Oberland: communities fight for space and opinion!

In the Oberland region, the topic of wind power is becoming increasingly hotly debated. Current developments show that the four districts of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen, Weilheim-Schongau, Miesbach and Garmisch-Partenkirchen have designated 1.55% of their areas as priority areas for wind energy. This is an important step towards achieving the goals of sustainable energy use. This is also proven by a report from South German newspaper.

While communities like Peiting in the Weilheim-Schongau district support the construction of wind turbines, the Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen district expresses skepticism. Dietramszell's mayor Josef Hauser from the Free Voters has announced that the designated areas will be checked by an external expert. These different views are reflected in the public debate, which is primarily characterized by concerns about nature conservation and the population density in the affected areas.

Public participation process and planned measures

In the spring of this year, 75 priority areas and an initial public participation process were launched, which met with great interest. A total of 431 comments were received, including 309 from private individuals. After extensive consideration, 11 priority areas were rejected and 22 were adjusted. This was done in an effort to relieve pressure on densely populated regions and to respect nature conservation.

Particularly noteworthy is the area south of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which could not be designated because it belongs to an unreported fauna-flora habitat. In Peiting, too, they were forced to exclude an area near the Lech because it is an important bird breeding area. But an alternative for three wind turbines was found.

Changes in the law make wind power planning easier

A recent change in the law has made it easier to build wind turbines closer to roads, making the planning process much easier. The Oberland region has more than achieved the area target of 4.45% of the total area. According to state and federal policy guidelines, 1.1% of the area should be designated for wind turbines by 2027 and 1.8% by 2030. This lays the foundation for the region's future energy supply.

Despite the positive developments, there are also critical voices. In Otterfing in the Miesbach district, there is a certain level of dissatisfaction with the high density of priority areas. In Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen, too, the priority areas are concentrated in the communities of Egling and Dietramszell. Mayor Hauser expresses concerns about the sporting timetable of the process, which gives the municipalities little time for well-founded statements.

However, the Tölz district administrator and association chairman Josef Niedermaier has assured that all objections will be taken into account in a legally secure manner and that the considerations will be made in the planning committee. However, if no suitable plan is presented, the legally regulated privileging of wind power could take effect, which could trigger the construction of wind turbines without the consent of the municipalities.

Overall, it shows that the Oberland region is facing exciting times. The Oberland Regional Planning Association, an association of districts, cities, markets and communities in the region, coordinates and controls spatial development. District Administrator Josef Niedermaier and managing director Sabine Holzinger are responsible for implementing the plans, while regional representative Cornelia Drexl supports the team at the government of Upper Bavaria.