Ukraine war pushes Germans’ acceptance of wind turbines to record level – survey

Onshore wind power has become more popular than ever among people living in Germany as a result of the war in Ukraine, a poll has found. One in three respondents said Russia's war and Germany's previous dependence on energy imports from Russia have made the expansion of onshore wind energy "more important than before," while two-thirds have not changed their opinion, according to the survey by pollster Forsa, which was commissioned by onshore wind agency Fachagentur Windenergie an Land. Fifty-one percent said the rollout of onshore wind power was “very important” and 31 percent said it was “important.” “The expansion of wind energy is more important to people than ever before. At the same time, the acceptance of existing plants on site has also risen to record levels,” the agency said.

Eighty-four percent of people who live very near wind turbines accept them, with 52 percent saying the "completely” accept them and 32 percent saying they are "somewhat” acceptable. Among respondents without wind turbines nearby their homes, 38 percent would have "no objections at all" to erecting them, and another 38 percent would have "fewer objections."

Wind turbines have become one of the most visible components of Germany's energy transition and increasingly dominate the landscape in many parts of the country. While most people support a roll-out of the technology, Germany’s most important renewable energy source also has ardent opponents – numerous citizen initiatives lament the turbines’ effects on people, wildlife and natural scenery. Acceptance of the technology tends to rise the more people are exposed to it.