Majority of Germans in favour of wind power expansion, eastern rural areas exception – survey

A majority of Germans continue to be in favour of further wind power expansion in the country, with 68.9 percent in western states and 54.4 percent in the East supporting the industry, showed a survey by the German Economic Institute (IW) and the Technical University Dresden. In rural areas in eastern states, however, 41.6 percent support more wind power development, while a third of respondents explicitly opposed it. Support across Germany drops about 40 percentage points when people are asked about whether wind turbines should be constructed in forest areas. Rejection of wind power expansion is also much bigger among supporters of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), with 51 percent of the party’s voters in eastern states coming out against further development.

Support for solar energy expansion is much larger, with 84.7 percent of respondents in the West and 77.9 percent in the East in favour. Around four in five people across Germany said they are worried about the effects of climate change. For the survey, the IW surveyed more than 5,000 adults across Germany in April and May 2024.

Right-wing populist parties opposed to strong climate action are gaining support in many EU countries. These parties strongly influence climate narratives and fuel divisive debates. However, a closer look at populist parties in several EU countries shows that their actual impact has been limited by national and EU rules, coalition constraints and their extreme campaign proposals lacking feasibility. The AfD has yet to enter a national or regional government, and researchers say the party's influence has mostly been confined to debates, for example causing further polarisation on climate issues like the expansion of wind power. The party is expected to score well in three eastern German state elections in September 2024, where the future ambition of Germany's energy transition faces its next test.