Wind farms boost local economies and municipal budgets – analysis
Clean Energy Wire / Die Welt
New wind farms greatly benefit the local economy and municipal budgets, says a case study by industry consultancy Deutsche WindGuard. Building and operating several wind parks in the district of Rotenburg in Germany’s leading wind power state Lower Saxony would generate 725 million euros for the local economy, with a further 370 million euros in taxes and fees channelled directly into state coffers until 2040, according to a press release from the State Association for Renewable Energies (LEE), which commissioned the study. Beyond the economic boost from constructing and operating the new wind farms, LEE consultant Tomke Menger said the analysis of "indirect effects, such as the creation of new jobs or availability of cheap renewable electricity for the manufacturing industry" would be a topic for further analysis.
The state plans to be climate-neutral by 2040, and wants to double its onshore wind power generation. Draft legislation to meet these targets would require Rotenburg to dedicate 4 percent of its land area to new wind farms – implying the construction of more than 80 new wind farms in addition to the 15 it already has, according to an article in Die Welt. Wind power is Germany’s most important renewable electricity source and projected to become the backbone of the country’s entire energy system in the shift away from fossil fuels.
