Wind energy had a strong year in Germany, but the election can shake things

2024 was a strong year for Eyol Energy in Germany, with awards for accelerating wind turbines on the shore, according to industry, but the upcoming elections on February 23 means that the sector is now facing uncertainty against the background of voice skepticism from voice skepticism The two parties leading in the urns.

Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Right Christian Democratic Union of the Center (CDU) who is survey First, with about 30% of the support, along with its partner party, CSU described wind energy as “transitional technology”. Speaking to the public television operator Zdf At the end of last year, he said he hoped that “ugly” wind turbines could be dismantled, “because they do not fit into the landscape.”

The far -right alternative deutschland voice, which is second in the national polls And he expected to provide about 20% of the vote, he took even more rhetoric. Party Candidate Alice Weidel threatened to demolish all wind turbines she According to messages Tagged as “Windmill of Shame”. AFD has asked climate change and often rejects actions taken to deal with the environmental crisis.

Wind energy, a form of renewable energy used to generate electricity, is considered important in the transition away from fossil fuels.

Wolf-Pistater Shil, an energy economist at the German Institute of Economic Research (DIW Berlin), said some of the “drilling of wind energy” during the election campaign was “absurd” at times, especially by AFD.

“AFD in many ways is a nightmare – also in terms of their wind energy, but I think it’s not super appropriate as they won’t be in power,” Shil told CNBC over Video call.

Despite the AFD in second place, all other major parties in Germany have so far been committed to not entering a coalition government with them, which means that they are likely to represent part of the opposition after the election.

“What the CDU does, the Conservative Party, is much more appropriate, at least for the next government,” Shil noted.

Shil cited recently report By the German Association of Wind Energy and the Engineering Foundation VDMA Power Systems, which stated that the country had achieved a historical stage for the wind in 2024.

The largest economy in Europe licensed more than 2,400 on the shore of wind turbines last year, the report representing a combined capacity of over 14 Gigawatts. The contracts assigned to the invading wind turbines also increased to a record high, he added.

Dennis rendschmidt, managing director of VDMA Power Systems, told CNBC that records emphasize the effectiveness of legal changes and political measures implemented in recent years. They also signaled a new dynamic for the sector, he said.

“This impulse must be maintained by a new federal government,” Rendshmid added, according to CNBC’s translation of comments by email. The expansion of wind energy must continue without restriction, he said, as this would lead to lower energy costs, job creation, energy supply and reduce the dependence on energy imports.

The Sil of Diu Berlin sees some potential obstacles.

“All conditions are really defined for future growth,” he said, noting that the only obstacles can occur if the incoming government slows down the pace of expansion, or for ideological reasons, or lack of understanding of the role of wind will be within the limits of wind have the power of the wind within the wind of the wind within the wind power to have energy systems in force.

Giles Dixon, CEO of the Windeurope Industrial Trade Group, told CNBC that the CDU’s likely government scenario should only have a little concern for the sector.

“If you are looking at a government -led government, or with (the Social Democratic Party), or with the Greens in the Coalition, or both, then this is not a stormy cloud to us,” he said.

The party is not neglectful in terms of climate change and at least does not strongly oppose wind energy, Andreas Reuteter, Managing Director of the Fraunhofer Wind Energy Systems (IWES), told CNBC when he developed the position of the likely leader of The leader of the probable leader of the new coalition of Germany, CDU/CSU.

Although CDU is critical of wind turbines earlier, Reuteter said the party would probably consider them “acceptable” so far as they are widespread and produce cheap energy.

This includes updates of the Renewable Energy Act, German law designed To ensure that the country can produce 80% of its electricity from renewable sources by the end of the decade, Dixon pointed out.

Solar and wind energy are crucial to these ambitions, since Germany’s efforts to gain energy from nuclear synthesis – which is considered an extremely sustainable source of energy – are still in the study and planning stage. Germany turned off its last remaining traditional nuclear power plants in 2023.

The new government will have to work on a new iteration of the law, he said, suggesting that the industrial authorities will have to closely monitor these developments and seek close dialogue with the government to form the changes.

The goals that Germany is currently has to increase renewable energy production and use is another area that will include adjustments. Some of these goals are already “completely unrealistic,” Reuteer said.

This means that the government will have to reduce its goals or they will miss them every year, noting The fact that current plans are “aggressive” – ​​but it is useful to show that renewable energy sources are a priority and encourage people to think big and create a positive environment around the problem.

“On the other hand, we still have a gap that is getting bigger and greater, the closer we get to 2030. And the question is how can we want to fill the gap? When will we assume that we will not go to We meet these goals?