PRESS RELEASE NO. 19/2020 IG Metall Welcomes Agreement on the Expansion of Offshore Wind Energy

Frankfurt am Main – The agreement to expand offshore wind energy comes at just the right time. “We need to get wind energy back on its feet. It is a key technology for a sustainable and future-proof energy supply,” said Wolfgang Lemb, executive board member of IG Metall, welcoming the decision on Tuesday in Frankfurt.

The coastal states, the federal government, and the grid operators 50Hertz, Amprion, and Tennet have agreed on the expansion. This agreement lays the groundwork for expanding offshore electricity generation capacity from the current 15 GW to 20 GW by 2030.

The expansion plans send the right signal to the offshore industry and provide companies with a stable outlook for investment. “It was high time for employees to regain confidence in the future of their jobs,” said Lemb. The expansion of wind energy has recently suffered due to unclear political conditions.

However, policymakers must not stop here; they must boldly tackle the problems associated with expanding onshore wind energy. Lemb called for an end to blanket distance regulations. These do not make sense; flexible solutions are needed: “This will give new momentum to the energy transition and is also an important step toward recovering from the COVID-19 crisis.”

Another step toward advancing the energy transition is lifting the cap on solar energy. “If we succeed in extending the positive course that has now been set for offshore wind to onshore wind and solar energy as well, we would have taken another important step toward a successful energy transition,” said Lemb.

Further information and press photos of Wolfgang Lemb