German energy industry fears slowdown of ground-mounted PV due to cabinet decision on EU ordinance

Following the German government’s decision on Monday (January 30) to provide »formulation assistance« for the implementation of the so-called EU Emergency Ordinance of December 2022, which aims to further accelerate the construction of wind and solar power plants and the extension of the electricity grid, the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) has raised concerns. According to BDEW, the cabinet decision, which is now to be forwarded to parliament, »does not yet fully exhaust the possibilities for facilitating the expansion of wind energy, solar power and the grid.« With regard to ground-mounted solar power plants, the plans are even »problematic«.
The formulation assistance includes draft amendments to several laws and ordinances, including the Regional Planning Act (Raumordnungsgesetz, ROG). According to BDEW, the planned ROG amendment could have the effect »that ground-mounted PV plants may only be built in defined areas in the future.« This would »undermine the planning sovereignty of the municipalities and slow down the extension«. The ammendment is also »not aligned with the newly created possibility for increased extension of PV along highways and railroads,« says BDEW. The just newly created regulation thus threatens to be "undermined if the ROG amendment is not adjusted.«
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