Wind energy had a strong year in Germany, but the elections can shake things

2024 was a strong year for wind energy in Germany, with permits for wind turbines on land that accelerate, according to industry data, but the next election of February 23 means that the sector now faces uncertainty, in the middle of vocal skepticism of the two parts that lead in the surveys.

Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union of the Center of Aerta (CDU), which is vote First, with about 30% support along with its affiliated party, the CSU has described wind energy as a “transition technology.” Talking to the public broadcaster ZDF At the end of last year, he hoped that “ugly” wind turbines could eventually dismantle, “because they don’t fit the landscape.”

The extreme right -wing alternative Fuer Deutschland, which is the second in National center And it is expected to ensure about 20% of the votes, it brought rhetoric even further. The candidate of the party’s chancellor, Alice Weidel, has threatened to tear down all the wind turbines, which she reportedly labeled as “shame windmills.” The AFD has questioned climate change and has often ruled out the actions taken to address the environmental crisis.

Wind energy, a form of renewable energy used to generate electricity, is considered important in the transition away from fossil fuels.

Wolf-Peter Schill, an energy economist at the German Economic Research Institute (Diw Berlin), said that part of the “wind power coup” during the electoral campaign has been “absurd” sometimes, particularly of the AFD.

“The AFD is, in many ways, a nightmare, also in terms of its wind energy, but I think it is not very relevant, since they will not be in power,” Schill told CNBC Over Over video call.

Despite the AFD survey in second place, all other important parties in Germany have so far committed not to enter a coalition government with them, which means that they will probably be part of the opposition after the elections.

“What the CDU does, the conservative party, is much more relevant, at least for the next government,” said Schill.

Schill cited a recent report of the German Wind Energy Association and the VDMA Systems Engineering Engineering Foundation, which said that the country achieved a historical milestone for wind energy on land in 2024.

The largest economy in Europe authorized more than 2,400 wind turbines on land last year, according to the report, which represents a combined capacity of more than 14 gigawatts. The contracts granted for wind turbines on land also rose to a record, he added.

Dennis Rendschmidt, managing director of VDMA Power Systems, told CNBC that the record figures highlighted the effectiveness of legal changes and political measures implemented in recent years. They also pointed out a new dynamic for the sector, he said.

“This impulse must be maintained by a new federal government,” Rendschmidt added, according to a CNBC translation of comments sent by email. The expansion of wind energy must continue without restrictions, he said, since that would lead to lower energy costs, would create jobs, ensure energy supply and reduce dependence on energy imports.

Schill de Diw Berlin sees few potential obstacles.

“All conditions are really established for future growth,” he said, noting that the only obstacles could arise if the incoming government slows down the rhythm of expansion, either for ideological reasons or a lack of understanding of the role that wind energy will have of energy

Giles Dickson, CEO of the Windeurope industry commercial group, told CNBC that on the probable stage of a government led by CDU, there should only be some concern for the sector.

“If you are looking at a government led by CDU, with the (Social Democratic Party) or the green coalition, or both, then that for us does not represent storm clouds at all,” he said.

The party is not negligent when it comes to climate change and at least does not strongly oppose wind energy, Andreas Reuter, managing director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems (IWE), told CNBC when it elaborates in the position of the probable Leader of the New Coalition of Germany, the CDU/CSU.

Although the CDU previously criticized wind turbines, Reuter said the party would probably consider them “acceptable” for now, since they are widely reliable and produce cheap energy.

That includes updates of the Renovable Energy Sources Law of Germany, a German law designed To ensure that the country can produce 80% of its electricity from renewable sources at the end of the decade, Dickson said.

Solar and wind energy is key to these ambitions, since Germany’s efforts to gain nuclear fusion energy, which is considered widely considered a highly sustainable energy source, are still in the research and planning stage. Germany closed its latest remaining traditional nuclear plants in 2023.

The new government will have to work in a new iteration of the law, he said, which suggests that industry agencies must closely monitor these developments and seek a close dialogue with the government to shape the changes.

The objectives that Germany currently has to increase its production and use of renewable energy are another area that will imply adjustments. Some of these objectives are already “completely unrealistic,” said Reuter de Iwes.

That means that the government will have to cut their goals or miss them every year, he said, noingested That the current plans were “aggressive”, but that this was useful to demonstrate that renewable energies were a priority and encourage people to think big and create a positive environment around the subject.

“On the other hand, we still have a vacuum, which is becoming getting bigger the more we approach 2030 and the question is, how do we want to fill the void? When are we going to accept that we are not going to go? To meet These objectives?