Germany moves to ramp up wind power

The German government approved a draft law on Wednesday aimed at covering two per cent of the country's land area with wind turbines by 2032, by setting fixed regional targets and easing some administrative burdens.

The push to accelerate the expansion of wind power comes as Germany is scrambling to wean itself off Russian fossil fuels following the war in Ukraine.

"Independence from fossil energies and from Russian fossil energies must be advanced at full speed," Energy Minister Robert Habeck told reporters.

The draft law adopted by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's cabinet still needs to approved by parliament.

The goal is for Germany's 16 states to collectively dedicate two percent of the nation's surface area to wind power generation by the end 2032 -- up from 0.5 per cent currently.

The installation of wind turbines regularly runs into  "not in my backyard" resistance in Germany and objections from residents have often blocked such projects in the past, as have concerns about endangering local wildlife.

Habeck said the proposed legislation would take away some of the leeway that regional governments currently have, and force them to abide by fixed targets that vary according to a state's size and specific criteria such as wind conditions and areas reserved as nature protection zones.