Bad Steben is fighting back: No wind power on the Thuringian border!

Bad Steben is fighting back: No wind power on the Thuringian border!

The topic of wind power has already been discussed several times in the region, and the latest decisions leave no doubt that opinions differ. The holiday committee in Bad Steben, headed by Mayor Bert Horn, voted unanimously against the designation of priority areas for wind turbines on the state border with Thuringia. The background is new plans for the use of wind energy, which did not go without an impact on the surrounding areas. As the Frankenpost reported, the municipalities of Lichtenberg and Issigau also followed this example in Bad Steben and signaled their concerns. Horn particularly criticized the fact that the planning focused predominantly on the Thuringian area and left out neighboring Bavarian areas such as Carlsgrün.

Although there are signs of resistance in Bad Steben, the Eastern Thuringia regional planning community has decided on a new draft for the “Subject to Wind Energy Plan”. This plan, which was published with broad public participation, envisages significantly increasing the area devoted to wind turbines. Loud Thuringian State Development Corporation the share will be increased from 0.4% to 1.7% of the area in eastern Thuringia. This corresponds to a total of 67 wind priority areas, of which 45 are to be redesignated.

Impact on the region

Particular attention is being paid to the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district, which is planning the largest increase in wind power areas. Existing wind farms are planned for expansion here, as well as twelve new designations that could affect large areas of forest. The draft also stipulates that there are no longer any height restrictions for the wind turbines, which has met with mixed reactions from local residents. In the Saale-Orla district, where five new wind priority areas are planned, there is still a district council resolution against further areas for renewable energies.

The renewed designation of wind priority areas in eastern Thuringia is under pressure from the federal government's “Wind on Land Act,” which obliges regional planners to designate new areas. Thuringia must make at least 1.4% of the area available for wind power by the end of 2027, and by 2032 it should even be 1.7%.

Public participation and criticism

With the publication of the new plan, a legally binding participation process has begun, in which the public can submit comments until September 15, 2025. These statements should be submitted online or by email to the relevant authorities, as shown in the information provided by the Thuringian state planning emerges. This offers many citizens the opportunity to express their concerns, which are then included in the evaluation.

The plans for wind energy, especially in the immediate vicinity of Bavaria, require a good hand on the part of the planners. It remains to be seen how the population will react to the increasing wind power areas and whether consensus can ultimately be achieved in the region. One thing is certain: the topic of wind power will remain one of the dominant topics in eastern Thuringia in the future.