Thuringia is turning up the heat: 66 new wind farms are causing excitement!

Thuringia is turning up the heat: 66 new wind farms are causing excitement!

Major developments in the field of wind power are imminent in Thuringia. 66 new areas for wind turbines are planned, spread across northern and eastern Thuringia. This expansion is supported by the regional planning associations, which approved current regional plan drafts in June. The new areas are intended as priority areas for wind power. A participation process for the public is already underway in eastern Thuringia, while in northern Thuringia the participation process is planned for this year. Abo Energy has already secured land in eleven potential areas, which forms the basis for up to 64 wind turbines with a height of 240 meters and an output of at least seven megawatts. The company's partners include municipalities, agricultural companies and private landowners. These developments are crucial to accelerate the energy transition and advance the expansion of renewable energies.

But not all voices are positive about the expansion of wind power. In eastern Thuringia, citizens' initiatives are campaigning against the construction of wind turbines, particularly near Hermsdorf. Günter Peupelmann, chairman of the Holzland citizens' initiative, expresses concerns about the clearing of forests for wind power projects. He emphasizes the identity-creating importance of the forest for the region and makes it clear that the initiative will continue to fight against wind power projects. This shows that the population's acceptance of wind power projects is crucial and that an open dialogue is necessary.

Expanding the potential for wind power

In June 2025, regional planning in Eastern Thuringia increased the potential areas for wind power from 0.4% to 1.7% of the region due to the “Wind on Land Act”. This enables more extensive use of wind power resources in the region and is welcomed by various stakeholders. Abo Energy has already submitted a full application to build and operate the Sankt Gangloff wind farm in order to benefit from the expanded potential areas. According to the company, a positive preliminary ruling was issued for five planned facilities on July 12, 2024, paving the way for construction.

There have been a number of legal and planning steps that have influenced the progress of wind power projects in Thuringia. An example of this is the successful objection procedure against a rejection of the preliminary decision, which concluded in August 2023. The possibility that wind power could be a factor in forest conversion in Thuringia is also taken into account. In the past, there have been several setbacks, but also successes - such as the regulatory action, which was decided against the blocking of changes by the Kreuzstrasse/KIM planning association.

The role of companies and the dialogue with citizens

The Dresden wind power company VSB, which recently became part of Total Energies, is committed to a transparent dialogue with the affected citizens. The challenges associated with the expansion of wind power projects require the involvement of all stakeholders to find a solution that meets both environmental and social requirements. Dialogue is an essential part of planning in order to take residents' concerns and objections seriously and to discuss alternative solutions.

The discourse about wind power in Thuringia remains intense and varied. The success of these projects depends not only on technical and planning aspects, but also on social acceptance and consideration of residents' concerns. With the planned wind areas and the various initiatives, Thuringia could be well on its way to taking a pioneering role in the energy transition.

For further information on wind power developments in Thuringia, visit South Germans and Subscription Energy.