Greens: Citizens to better participate in revenues from renewables

Madeleine Linke, Landesvorsitzende von BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN, auf einer Windrad-Gondel. Im Hintergrund sind andere Windräde in der Ferne zu sehen.

The Greens in the state have renewed their demands for a state-wide participation law. With this law, municipalities and citizens should directly benefit financially in the future when wind and solar farms are built in their vicinity or wind turbines are replaced as part of repowering.

Madeleine Linke, state chairwoman of Alliance 90/The Greens Saxony-Anhalt, explains:

“It is the right way to go if the operators of the plants are obliged by law to give the adjacent municipalities a share of their profits. Such financial participation increases acceptance for the further expansion of renewables and ultimately ensures an acceleration of the energy transition.”

Energy Minister Armin Willingmann had already announced a participation law for Saxony-Anhalt months ago. The Greens are presenting concrete demands for this:

  • Name: The title of the law should already make it clear what it is about: “Citizen and Community Participation Act”, because both the municipalities and the local citizens should be able to benefit directly from the yields from wind and solar parks.
  • Promoting community life: The appropriation of revenues in the municipalities should not only include infrastructural projects, but also cultural and social events and projects that enrich community life.
  • Direct participation of citizens: The Green Party proposes to introduce the possibility of direct electricity marketing for citizens and to create incentives for citizens cooperatives and crowd-funding campaigns. In this way, people can benefit directly from the proceeds.
  • Include PPAs: Plants that are not supported by the EEG (Renewable Energy Sources Act) – such as PPAs – are also an integral part of the energy transition and should urgently be taken into account in the Participation Act.
  • Taxes: Revenues should not be subject to federal and state fiscal equalization rules, but should be non-tax levies.
  • Transition rules: In view of the possible introduction of a federal participation law, the Greens call for careful coordination to preserve the locational advantage for renewable energies in Saxony-Anhalt. This also increases planning security for the operators of wind and solar parks.