Survey: Most Bavarians would accept wind turbines near their homes under certain conditions

Most residents of the German state of Bavaria would accept wind turbines being built near their homes if certain conditions were met. These include lower electricity prices, safeguarding Bavaria’s prosperity, protecting jobs in the region, or sharing in the profits from operating the turbines. This is according to a survey conducted by the Initiative for Climate-Neutral Germany.

Although Bavaria leads Germany’s federal states in solar power development, it has faced sustained pressure over its long-standing opposition to wind power. A statement by the Bavarian premier last August suggests that this stance may be changing: he said more than 1,000 wind turbines were to be built in the state.

Last autumn, international news outlet Clean Energy Wire also reported that local residents’ attitudes toward the so-called 10H rule, which severely restricts wind power development in Bavaria, had begun to change.

The 10H rule sets the minimum distance between wind turbines and homes at ten times the turbine’s height. Although the state reformed its Climate Protection Act last autumn, the 10H rule remained in force.