"A powerful day and a good day for wind energy" - with these words Lower Saxony's Energy Minister Olaf Lies described the "Aurich Appeal, Wind Power Package", to which a broad circle of important social multipliers* in the city in the heart of East Frisia committed themselves on Thursday, 25 September 2020. "Without the Northwest, the key region for renewables, there will be no energy turnaround in Germany," Lies stated. "That is why we need more wind energy instead of a lull in expansion," the Minister added at the same time before the signatories in the hall. "The social partnership between companies and trade unions, the municipal family, associations and state politics are a firm alliance when it comes to the expansion of wind energy and climate protection. I am certain that this Aurich appeal once again shows the clear commitment of Lower Saxony and the state government to the expansion of wind energy and to climate protection. We want the blockades - especially in Berlin - to finally be solved!

The fact that the Energy Minister, EWE AG, the Aloys Wobben Foundation, the IG Metall trade union, Verdi, the District Administrator, Mayor, the Offshore Wind Energy Foundation, the State Renewable Energy Association and the Federal Wind Energy Association are fighting side by side with their signatures has never been seen before in history. "I would like to thank everyone," said Lies. "In the future, no one will be able to avoid this Aurich coalition of the determined politically. I am firmly convinced of this." For all signatories agree: "We will not allow the goals and demands of the Aurich appeal to be shaken.

These goals and demands include

• Reliable, higher expansion paths for renewable energies, adapted to future electricity consumption. For onshore wind energy this means a net increase of 5 GW per year.
• Legally secure solution of the land conflicts between the necessary expansion of wind energy and species, nature conservation and air traffic control.
• Facilitation of repowering in relation to height restrictions and species and immission control issues, so that established sites can continue to be used.
• Connection of onshore wind energy plants after the maximum period of support, which allows economic operation to continue for a transitional period.
• Introduction of a marketable tender design Offshore
• Effective simplification and acceleration of immission control approvals.
• Robust planning procedures.
• Manageable promotion of acceptance through added value, which reaches the local and neighboring municipalities and citizens.
• Introduction of a grid innovation area in the northwest,
• to secure and expand jobs and businesses.

Text: Lower Saxony Ministry for Environment, Energy, Building and Climate Protection

Caption: Introducing the Aurich Appeal: (f.l.) Heiko Janssen (Chairman of the Board AWS), Lower Saxony's Environment Minister Olaf Lies and Stefan Dohler (Chairman of the Board EWE AG). Picture: EWE AG.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)