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From George Moeritz
Mr. Zeuner, you travel a lot in Saxony. Do you sense an urban-rural divide when it comes to the energy transition?
The differences are definitely noticeable because people in urban and rural areas are affected to different degrees. In some rural regions, projects are being built on the doorstep. In the city, on the other hand, wind turbines are a long way away and large solar installations are less common.
A lot of energy is consumed in the cities, but most of the large plants are located in the countryside. Can this be made fairer?
It is not a new fact that there is an urban-rural division of labor. Food production also takes place in the countryside. But the city has an infrastructure that it also provides for the rural population. I don't believe in pointing the finger at a city and calling for a windmill to be built on the market square. What is needed is for the benefits of renewable energies to reach the countryside.
What could that be, for example?
Renewable energy projects create added value. First of all, the landowners receive income. To ensure that this is not distributed too unevenly, all owners in an area with wind turbines, for example, can receive shares, even if they do not have a site or a stand-off area. The second aspect is that trade tax benefits the municipality where the plant is located, which is why the tax legislation was changed some time ago. And thirdly, since June there has been the Citizens' Participation Act, which allows part of the income from the electricity yield to go to the municipality. The money can directly benefit the affected districts, for example through local electricity tariffs or grants for associations and social projects.
Nevertheless, Saxony's state government has not achieved the expansion targets set out in the coalition agreement. How bad is that from the point of view of your association for the promotion of renewable energies?
It was predictable, because approvals and implementation take a long time. But it was important to set ambitious targets. Politicians were able to focus on this. A turnaround has indeed been initiated in the past four years. But the change in direction will only be felt in the long term. On average, experience shows that it takes five to ten years from the idea to the completion of a wind turbine.
And in the future?
The changes that have been introduced will speed things up. There have been various simplifications, in addition to the Citizen Participation Act, for example the species protection guidelines for animals.
But more has happened elsewhere. What do other federal states do better than Saxony?
Saxony was at the bottom of the league and has set out to leave this position behind. However, this also requires a rethink, including among administrative staff. Since Biedenkopf, wind power has been demonized in Saxony and this has become ingrained in people's minds. That is now changing.
And what do you experience in other federal states?
My planning office is also active in Lower Saxony. There I often see that the energy transition is seen as an economic opportunity. I put this down to the fact that many people there are more used to thinking economically and approaching a project with an open mind. For example, a farming business brings the owners together and then a project developer for a wind farm is jointly commissioned. Saxony is now also taking a decisive step forward.
What do you mean by that?
Saxony is taking a more ambitious approach to designating new areas for wind power than it should. As early as 2027, two percent of the land area in Saxony is to be designated as possible sites, instead of an interim target of 2032 elsewhere. This is very positive and ensures that the lengthy changes to regional plans can be made in one step.
Minister President Kretschmer has said that the energy transition has failed. What do you say?
Of course, the energy transition has not failed. After all, it is not just a short-term idea from the Greens, but a project for society as a whole that will take decades and is very challenging. We already have a high proportion of renewable energies on the electricity market, but we are still very much at the beginning. A lot of fossil fuels are still being used for driving and heating. The energy transition continues.
What do you expect after the election?
If the previous survey results materialize, the energy transition will not get any easier. However, many developments are not initiated at Saxon level and cannot simply be reversed. For example, it is a federal law that two percent of land must be designated for wind power. Saxony must adhere to this, regardless of which state government is in power. However, it is of course significant whether an implementation process is supported or boycotted. In the worst case, it would take longer to advance the energy transition in Saxony - with negative consequences for Saxony as an energy and industrial location.
Does the topic feature sufficiently in the election campaign?
Unfortunately, no. In my opinion, this has to do with the fact that being against renewable energies is a core issue for the AfD. And there is a misconception that the majority of the population is against renewable energies - which is demonstrably false. The parties can't avoid the issue, but many treat it like a hot potato and barely touch it during the election campaign.
What can you do as an association?
We are looking to join forces with the players in the country who are heavily dependent on the expansion of renewable energies. This includes the regional economy and the chambers of industry and commerce. Renewable energies are decisive location factors for industry and the expansion and preservation of jobs.
I saw on the list of your members that the Riesa steelworks Feralpi has also recently joined. Why is that?
It makes sense for such companies to join us. And we will work on integrating more energy consumers into our ranks. Energy-intensive companies in particular are heavily reliant on renewable energies. Otherwise they will soon no longer have any sales opportunities. For steel production, they will have to demonstrate a lower CO2 footprint to their customers in the future. In the case of electricity-based steel production in particular, this has so far only been possible with the help of green electricity.
However, the major construction projects are mainly being driven forward by the large energy suppliers. Leag has announced a gigawatt project, while Sachsen-Energie and Envia-M are investing heavily in power lines. Are we dependent on the established companies for the energy transition?
It would be bad if the big established players did not jump on the bandwagon and actively help shape the transformation. However, it would be fatal if the renewable energy sector, which is dominated by SMEs, no longer had a chance. We are dependent on both the small and the large players working on this, including decentralized projects in the area.
Are there enough financially strong investors in Saxony? Perhaps we simply don't have as many as in Lower Saxony?
That is an absolute fallacy. Why do municipal utilities, for example, invest in renewable energies? Because this is the future and money can be made from it. There is also enough money and investors for this in Saxony, of course with the support of the banks. However, our wish and goal is also to involve more local investors, for example through cooperatives.
So anyone can buy a small share in a large investment with just a few hundred euros?
Correct. As project developers, we open up our projects to municipal and community energy cooperatives. This is also good for local acceptance. Farmers and municipal businesses can also participate. We also want to network the energy cooperatives better through our association.
Do all the planned projects always materialize?
Last year, 25 wind turbine projects were rejected or withdrawn in Saxony. But this is not due to too little money or too little wind. These projects are always economically viable. The modern turbines are so high that they deliver much higher yields than used to be the case. Our first wind turbine 30 years ago had a yield of less than one million kilowatt hours per year. The current generation of turbines deliver between 15 and 20 million kilowatt hours. You can see how technical development has already brought us forward. With the new technology, fewer plant locations are needed overall.
Isn't it still a shame that old plants are being demolished for this? Shouldn't we keep them running instead of sawing them up?
A large number of old systems are cherished and cared for until they no longer pass the test for technical reasons. This is simply because the licensing conditions have also become stricter. If the distance to the next settlement is less than 1,000 meters, a new turbine cannot necessarily be erected. We have plants that have been running for 30 years.
Electricity prices are considerably higher than a few years ago, at least from the customer's point of view. What are the chances that prices will fall again?
Many people have one tariff in mind that they pay per kilowatt hour - whether during the day or at night. We have to get away from that. There will no longer be a centralized electricity system, but a decentralized one with a lot of wind and solar energy. Consumption will also have to be geared towards this. There will be price signals that make electricity more expensive when there is a shortage and cheaper when there is a surplus.
The first dynamic or split tariffs are already on the market - but will electricity become cheaper or more expensive overall?
It's a double-edged sword. Everyone would like cheap electricity. But it also encourages waste. Energy must also have a relevant price. The dynamic tariffs are particularly worthwhile for consumers, which have a pronounced peak demand at certain times. At midday, the price is generally lower due to the high proportion of solar energy.
Some parties are calling for nuclear power plants again. Will they come, perhaps to Saxony too?
Federal Economics Minister Habeck said something about this that I thought was very successful: he would put the issue on the agenda if someone could name the two district councillors who would be in favor of a nuclear power plant and a repository in their districts. That would put the issue to bed, and I predict the same for Saxony. Even if one were to assume that nuclear energy could be a solution, the approval and construction times are so long that it could not be made usable in a relevant period of time. Quite apart from the financial aspects. It is not even remotely possible to produce nuclear energy as cheaply as energy from renewable sources.
The interview was conducted by Georg Moeritz. Falk Zeuner is the founder and managing director of Terrawatt Planungsgesellschaft mbH, a Leipzig-based engineering firm with around 20 employees. He specializes in the planning of wind and solar power plants. Since his election last year as the successor to Wolfgang Daniels the VEE Association for the Promotion of the Use of Renewable Energies in Saxony.
