Lecture Series: Transforming the Energy Base. Battles over wind turbines - How can we go on?

The lecture series "Transformations and the Urban-Rural Relationship (in Northern Hesse)" focuses on different facets of the socio-ecological turnaround, including the region of Northern Hesse. Every week two speakers from science and practice will give lectures and discuss with each other. One of the lectures will be devoted to a review of the general state of knowledge on individual aspects of the transformation. The second lecture will focus on North Hesse and discuss the challenges arising from the socio-ecological transformation for the region. The new urban-rural conflicts associated with the expansion of renewable energies, the challenges facing the North Hessian economy and the fact that the transformation processes not only have an economic side, but also change the North Hessian party and media landscape will be elaborated.

Organization: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schroeder, Head of the Department Political System of the FRG - Statehood in Change

Topic on 15.11.2022: Transformation of the energy base. Battles over wind turbines - How can it continue?
In order to be able to achieve the goal set out in the coalition agreement of obtaining 80% of Germany's electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030, two percent of the state's land area is to be reserved for wind energy with the Wind-an-Land law. This is an ambitious target in view of the increasing opposition to the construction of further wind turbines and the necessary infrastructure for power lines, among other things, in recent years, both from directly affected residents and homeowners and from nature conservationists. So how can the energy transition be shaped between citizens' initiatives, NIMBY protest (not in my backyard) and renewable energy companies (SMA)? Similar to agriculture, is an urban-rural divide emerging in the energy sector, with production in rural areas and consumption in urban areas, and what does this mean for the relationship between urban and rural areas?

Speakers: Dr.-Ing. Reinhard Mackensen (Fraunhofer IEE), Mark Weinmeister (District President Kassel)