Wind energy has long been one of the most important energy sources in Germany. In the first half of the year the growth was seven percent. But the industry fears the end of the boom.
The success story of wind power in Germany continues. Industry associations reported this in their semi-annual report for 2026. According to this, by mid-year, 423 onshore wind turbines with a total capacity of 2.36 gigawatts were put into operation. This is an increase of seven percent compared to the previous year.
Despite this increase, growth remains below industry expectations. To accelerate the energy transition, the policy goal is actually to increase wind energy generation by ten gigawatts. However, this will not happen in 2026.
However, the six-month balance sheet of the participating professional associations is fundamentally positive. “Wind power delivers results: it has the necessary production capacity to respond flexibly to growing demand and expands it further according to demand,” explains Dennis Rendschmidt, managing director of the VDMA Power Systems Association.
Almost a quarter of electricity comes from wind energy.
With a total capacity of almost 70 gigawatts, onshore wind generates almost a quarter of Germany’s electricity. Also noteworthy, according to industry officials, is an increase of 9.1 megawatts in newly approved capacity. Never before in history has so much wind power been allowed to be produced in the first half of the year.
The industry claims to employ 130,000 people and is credited with enabling the transition to green energy. Wind energy also provides an affordable, competitive energy system that is independent of external influences. The industry believes it has been strengthened by the energy price crisis resulting from conflicts such as Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine or the war with Iran.
plans Ministry of Economy cause concern
But the outlook to the future is more skeptical. It is concerning that current federal government legislation does not provide investment security. According to Bärbel Heidebroeck, president of the Federal Wind Energy Association, the plans of the Federal Ministry of Economics threaten to slow down the development of wind energy and increase Germany’s dependence on fossil fuels.
Criticism arose, among other things, about the project of the network package. The Federal Ministry of Economics, headed by Katerina Reich (CDU), wants to reduce the costs of the energy transition and better coordinate network expansion with increased green electricity production. But trade associations are protesting against this. From their point of view, the law could significantly slow down the development of wind energy.
Problem: If there is too much electricity on the grid, wind turbines often have to be shut down. So far, operators have received compensation for this. The federal government now wants to significantly cut those fees and give network operators more power to stop the construction of new systems. Wind energy industry officials warn this will put important investments out of reach by shifting financial risk to operators.
Dismantling stop warning
The wind energy lobby sees another problem with the planned amendment to the Renewable Energy Act. According to the EU requirement, it must be reformed by January 1, 2027. But there are signs that the parliamentary process is dragging on. If reform is not passed by the end of the year, trade associations say there is a risk that expansion will grind to a halt.
Because without the new law, tenders for financing wind energy projects will no longer be possible. The associations see this as a serious threat to the future of wind energy in Germany.
Mega wind turbine in Lusatia
What this future might look like can now be seen in the south of Brandenburg. The largest wind turbine in the world is being built in the municipality of Shipkau. Its height will be 365 meters – and therefore only slightly less than the tallest building in Germany – the Berlin TV Tower.
The construction is carried out by the Dresden engineering company GICON. The high-rise wind tower is considered a “groundbreaking technological achievement in the field of onshore wind energy,” according to the company. The 300 meter hub height is designed to provide stronger and more consistent winds. This means the energy output is higher and more stable than traditional systems. At the moment they have reached a total height of 200 to 250 meters. Hub height is the distance between the ground surface and the center of the wind turbine rotor.
Ob serial production, must show himself first
The 167 meter high steel shell of the outer tower was recently completed. It’s reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Since no crane is large enough for this, the turbine and rotor blades are later lifted onto a telescopic inner tower. The mega-wind turbine is funded by federal research funds. It should be completed this year.
Whether this concept will justify the high investment costs of around 25 million euros and whether it can be built in series in the future will only be shown in the long term. In any case, wind energy associations are cautious. According to him, initially the project is considered primarily from the point of view of innovation and development. But this value will not play a role in the next few years.