Wind Power Planning in Germany: Insights from Project Planning in Baden-Württemberg

This article appeared in the Bulletin on September 22, 2026.

The German wind market is currently sending mixed signals: On the one hand, there are record numbers of permits and statutory acceleration programs; on the other hand, low auction prices and frozen project pipelines point to an industry crisis. With regard to regulatory market conditions, Germany fundamentally reformed its planning and permitting laws for onshore wind turbines between 2022 and 2025, including streamlining procedures and designating new areas for development. In Switzerland, however, one must be patient if one wants to realize a wind power project: Due to differing planning philosophies and procedures, the implementation of a wind farm still takes up to 15 years or more.

Wind energy planning in Germany shares both similarities and differences with planning in Switzerland. Alexander Kupfahl, Senior Wind Energy Expert, who was involved in planning work for the Gries pilot plant—Europe’s highest wind turbine—among other projects, shares insights into his experiences in an interview with the Bulletin.

You recently planned a wind farm in Germany in a record time of less than two years and brought it through planning permission. What were the factors behind this success?

Alexander Kupfahl: We began project planning for the turbines, including site development, in 2025. In April 2026, we submitted all expert reports and documentation to the permitting authority. One key factor in our success was continuous and transparent communication with all stakeholders. From the very beginning, we involved the relevant authorities, the municipalities, and the landowners in the process. This allowed us to address concerns before they became obstacles. As a result, we also generated a high level of local acceptance. Unlike in many projects, there was no organized opposition. The cooperative and constructive collaboration with the investor further accelerated the process. Of course, the procedural simplifications brought about by the new German legislation also helped us. A concrete example is the Wind Energy Land Use Act (WindBG), which simplifies the species protection assessment. As a result, a modified species protection assessment was sufficient, and a preliminary environmental impact assessment was not required.

That sounds as if everything went like clockwork. Is that right?

Alexander Kupfahl: No project is without challenges. In this particular project, we had an extremely tight timeline for finalizing the turbine sites: We had to submit the first permit application by the end of June 2025, before the temporary exemptions under the WindBG expired. As a result, more work had to be carried out in parallel than usual. Siting the turbines, expert reports, site development, technical planning—everything had to proceed hand in hand. Since all these factors influence one another, adjustments were constantly necessary. Existing expert reports had to be updated whenever we made changes to the technical planning. We expect to receive approval this year or next; compared to planning timelines in Switzerland, this is significantly shorter. The Wind and Solar Agency estimates an average approval period of 1.4 years in Germany by 2025. From the initial site analysis to a legally binding building permit, the process takes between 4 and 8 years. In Switzerland, one must plan for 10 to 15 years. This is now set to be shortened thanks to changes in the legal framework, such as the Acceleration Decree; however, planning horizons comparable to those in Germany are likely to remain rare.

What do you consider to be the key factors for the successful implementation of a wind project?

Alexander Kupfahl: Every project faces different challenges. When we look at what often causes projects to stall, we can conversely identify the following success factors: Early and open communication with all stakeholders is crucial for building trust among local communities, residents, and government agencies. From experience, measures such as community participation models can promote acceptance of a project by contributing to local economic value creation. These days, local governments typically address this point directly with us. Here, it’s important to work together to mobilize local supporters. The proximity of our regional staff to the projects has been an advantage in this regard. Securing land must not be underestimated either. In southern Germany, with its fragmented land parcels, for example, the effort required to secure the necessary land can be significant. If individual parcels cannot be secured, this can cause major difficulties for the overall project. Grid connection is also essential. Grid capacity is in high demand. The substation should be built by the time the wind farm is commissioned if one wants to avoid painful delays. Even with the best planning, not all issues can be fully resolved early on, and creative solutions are sometimes needed. That’s why no two projects are alike. That’s what makes the work exciting.

The market and the wind industry continue to evolve. How do you view the near future?

Alexander Kupfahl: Looking back at the past few years, we see that many framework conditions have changed—for example, regarding the designation of wind energy zones or the current sharp decline in tariffs in invitations to tender. We need to take this into account when securing land and planning, and identify opportunities. We see this particularly in project reviews and due diligence engagements, which we also conduct. For investors, the question of how resilient projects are in the face of changing conditions will become increasingly important. Equally important will be the ability to identify and capitalize on a site’s potential for optimization and development. Ultimately, the market is not just purchasing a wind farm project, but the associated site with all its potential. Here, topics such as storage, sector coupling, and—in particular—available grid capacity will play an increasingly significant role. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are developing rapidly and are helping to relieve strain on the grid. In Germany, the Federal Network Agency expects large-scale battery storage systems larger than 1 MW to reach a total gross capacity of up to 24 GW by 2037. That is a tenfold increase compared to today. The combination of various forms of energy and applications—such as electricity, thermal energy, urban transportation, and hydrogen—will be particularly exciting. While this is not a prerequisite for a well-functioning wind farm, taking these potentials into account—at least in interface planning—could be an advantage in the future, as it will contribute to site development for further opportunities for value creation.