A Wind Farm in my Backyard
The Women Energize Women event “THE FUTURE OF WIND ENERGY - Public Support, Citizen Participation & Financing” at the HUSUM Wind fair 2023
Husum, normally a quiet holiday resort on the North Sea, was overflowing with wind experts, onshore and offshore representatives, and exhibitors from the wind energy industry from all over Germany in the second week of September 2023. On its first day, 12 September 2023, the HUSUM WIND fair 2023 along with the Bundesverband WindEnergie e.V. hosted the Women Energize Women event entitled "THE FUTURE OF WIND – Public Support, Citizen Participation & Financing". This on-site event invited women* wind energy experts to a networking breakfast and panel discussion on how we can increase public support for wind energy on a global scale.
A call for a wind of change
Dr Simone Peter , President of the Bundesverband Erneuerbare Energie e.V. (BEE) , and Katarzyna Rezza Vega , Head of Women Energize Women at the 德国国际合作机构 , welcomed the participants at the event. A short introduction on the importance of gender equality and a call for a wind of change set the stage for a discussion that covered a wide range of topics, from the acceptance of onshore wind farms, development processes and financial investments to the implementation of diversity and gender balance at all professional levels.
Wind for communities
The panel was moderated by Serafina Funk , Head of Women Energize Women at the Bundesverband Erneuerbare Energie e.V. (BEE) , who gave the floor to four women with different perspectives on wind energy and its acceptance. Julia Wolf , Head of Acquisition Wind and PV Region South, RWE Renewables Deutschland GmbH, stressed the importance of wind energy for Germany to achieve its net zero targets by 2045. 2% of the country will be needed for wind and solar in the future. Therefore, "a clear target set by the government is crucial," she explained. On the other hand, as a wind farm developer, you have to deal with local people. But as Katharina Johannsen , Editor at energate , put it: "The acceptance of renewable energy in Germany is better than many people think. 80% of the people would like to see more of it, and only two-thirds of all people would have nothing against renewable energy technology in their ‘backyard’.” D?rte Zink (now Zink), CFO of Prowind GmbH , added: "We need the support of the people who live in the region,” and this is often achieved by involving the local community.
Communication is key
As it is not possible to develop a wind farm project for less than one million euros in Germany, there is always a project developer involved, even when developing citizen energy, as panelist Dr. Marie-Luise P?rtner , Managing Director of BayWa r.e. EMEA Wind GmbH, pointed out. Therefore, the aspect of communication is very important. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. "The development of a wind farm is a very specific issue and in order to create acceptance, you first have to listen," said Dr Marie-Luise P?rtner. By ensuring transparency and asking the right questions, local journalism can promote social acceptance in the region, Katharina Johannsen emphasised. But creating a transparent flow of information does not stop at the newsroom. The local community must also have a say in the project development, not just a yes or no. It is important that participation is not only financial but also qualitative. D?rte Zink added that it is equally necessary to point out the risks. Investing capital always involves a risk, which people often forget and are then surprised by.
Diversity matters
It is no secret that diverse and gender-inclusive teams and companies are more successful. Nevertheless, "citizen energy events are still male-dominated, they don't bring gender equality to the renewable energy sector," noted Katharina Johannsen, and Julia Wolf agreed: "We want to have more women in the renewable energy sector, but if you look at the representatives in a city, most of them are men. We need a change not only in the renewable energy sector, but in all sectors, such as administration or finance.” From her experience of presenting wind farm projects to communities, Dr Marie-Luise P?rtner has learned that you often need to approach women* in a different way, you need to present your project in a different way so that women* feel free to ask questions and show open interest. The same applies to job advertisements, you need to create an atmosphere of trust and once there are women* in your workplace, more women* will be attracted to it. "I think, men and women have done a good job so far in the renewable energies. But the key is collaboration. We have to use all the talents in our society to work towards the energy transition," concluded Julia Wolf.
Let’s be the wind
After the panel discussion there was plenty of time for questions, which were eagerly taken up by the audience. The furthest journey was made by a participant from Australia, who looked with great interest at the energy transition in Germany. Australia is on the threshold of entering offshore wind power and the suggestions for involving communities and strengthening acceptance will surely reach Down Under. Thanks to our collaboration partner, the German Wind Energy Association, we were happy to be at the HUSUM Wind fair 2023 and we are looking forward to more events and collaborations in the future. To keep posted, we recommend to follow our social media channels via LinkedIn, Instagram and X. Let’s be the wind, the wind of change!?
Author: Women Energize Women editorial team