‘No more excuses’ | Scholz cabinet axes hurdles to German renewables and grid

The cabinet of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has approved a series of measures to simplify the permitting of wind and solar plants to speed up renewables deployment.

The package, which particularly simplifies species protection rules, puts into practice an EU emergency ordinance passed in December to accelerate permitting and the build-up of new green power projects – in an effort to replace Russian energy imports and reach ambitious climate targets.

“The federal government has launched a wind expansion accelerator like we have never had before,” German economics and climate minister Robert Habeck said of the measures, which also cover heat pumps.