Citizen-led initiatives in the German wind energy sector - a qualitative and quantitative exploration

Abstract

Onshore wind energy development in Germany faces a problem, the citizens do not want wind turbines in their backyard (NIMBY). Citizen-led initiatives, prominently in form of energy cooperatives, are deemed to increase the acceptance for wind energy production in close proximity. They provide the opportunity for (local) citizens to financially benefit from and democratically take part in the planning process of wind power production. This thesis provides a combination of statistical analysis of the COMETS database and qualitative review of wind energy cooperatives. The findings are combined in a stylized business business model canvas for cooperatives in the wind energy sector. Two case studies deliver in depth investigations of the currently biggest wind energy cooperative, PROKON regenerative Energien eG, in Germany and a classical mid-sized wind cooperative, Energiegenossenschaft Starkenburg eG.

The master thesis found 137 active wind cooperatives with 597 associated projects (1.9 GW) in Germany. Cooperative activity in the wind sector is strongly dependent on favourable political support schemes, providing low complexity and relatively risk free investment opportunities (e.g., guaranteed feed-in tariffs). Furthermore, wind cooperative headquarters are predominantly found in southern Germany, whereas the wind projects are equally spread across the country. This finding contrasts the idea of wind power production in the backyard, indicating that southern German cooperatives finance and profit from northern wind turbines. The case studies exemplify diversification and growth strategies as solutions to cope with increasing competition on the market due to tendering. Both strategies are promising solutions for future citizen-led activity in the wind energy sector.