3 THE IMPACT oF GERMAN ENERGY PoLICY oN HoUSEHoLD ENERGY USE
25
upgrading of power lines. In 2014, the German government, responding to increasing public resistance to the implementation of local energy
transition projects and the required upgrading and expansion of the electricity grid, agreed to slow down the expansion of renewable energy projects and limit further expansion to ‘development corridors’ as well as
revising the aims of the Renewable Energy Act (2014). While the primary policy focus had up to this point been on the accelerated decarbonisation of energy used to create electricity, recent developments are
beginning to shift attention towards demand-side policies, together with
associated ordinances such as the law on the eco-design of energy-related
products (BMJV 2017).
While overarching policies are developed at a Federal level, much of the
practical actions required to deliver a successful Energiewende fall on local
municipalities and civil society. The highly devolved nature of local administration means that local municipalities are primarily responsible for either
taking direct action (in terms of their own energy use/supply) or indirect action such as providing the necessary conditions for private/semiprivate sustainable investments or supporting civil society actions aimed at
lowering energy consumption. The capacity and extent of municipalities’
engagement in such actions is a result of the available resources (budgetary and physical), the extent of devolved administrative competence,
and the level of political prioritisation, which may differ considerably
both across and within each State/Bundesland. As a consequence, the
Energiewende is likely to progress at different rates across Germany. In
fact, in some instances past policy both at the Federal and State levels has
clearly undermined renewable energy development with overly prescriptive development restrictions, resulting in an effective ban of particular
types of generation in certain areas (Naßmacher and Naßmacher 2007).
For example, the controversial ‘10H’ regulation, introduced in Bavaria in
2014, requires any installed turbine to be a minimum distance of 10 times
the turbine height from any residential building (Bayerische Bauordnung
2018). This effect of this regulation has been to substantially restrict the
siting options for wind energy infrastructure.
The opportunity of private individuals and communities to participate
directly in the transition by investing in renewable energy projects has
been central to the successful increase in the proportion of renewable
energy used in electricity generation over the last ten years. It has been
estimated that 46% of installed renewable capacity was owned by farmers
and private citizens in 2012 (Borchert and Wettengel 2018). However,
25
upgrading of power lines. In 2014, the German government, responding to increasing public resistance to the implementation of local energy
transition projects and the required upgrading and expansion of the electricity grid, agreed to slow down the expansion of renewable energy projects and limit further expansion to ‘development corridors’ as well as
revising the aims of the Renewable Energy Act (2014). While the primary policy focus had up to this point been on the accelerated decarbonisation of energy used to create electricity, recent developments are
beginning to shift attention towards demand-side policies, together with
associated ordinances such as the law on the eco-design of energy-related
products (BMJV 2017).
While overarching policies are developed at a Federal level, much of the
practical actions required to deliver a successful Energiewende fall on local
municipalities and civil society. The highly devolved nature of local administration means that local municipalities are primarily responsible for either
taking direct action (in terms of their own energy use/supply) or indirect action such as providing the necessary conditions for private/semiprivate sustainable investments or supporting civil society actions aimed at
lowering energy consumption. The capacity and extent of municipalities’
engagement in such actions is a result of the available resources (budgetary and physical), the extent of devolved administrative competence,
and the level of political prioritisation, which may differ considerably
both across and within each State/Bundesland. As a consequence, the
Energiewende is likely to progress at different rates across Germany. In
fact, in some instances past policy both at the Federal and State levels has
clearly undermined renewable energy development with overly prescriptive development restrictions, resulting in an effective ban of particular
types of generation in certain areas (Naßmacher and Naßmacher 2007).
For example, the controversial ‘10H’ regulation, introduced in Bavaria in
2014, requires any installed turbine to be a minimum distance of 10 times
the turbine height from any residential building (Bayerische Bauordnung
2018). This effect of this regulation has been to substantially restrict the
siting options for wind energy infrastructure.
The opportunity of private individuals and communities to participate
directly in the transition by investing in renewable energy projects has
been central to the successful increase in the proportion of renewable
energy used in electricity generation over the last ten years. It has been
estimated that 46% of installed renewable capacity was owned by farmers
and private citizens in 2012 (Borchert and Wettengel 2018). However,