The accelerating downward pressure on onshore wind energy expansion in Germany is paralyzing the industry. Community-owned renewable producers have been hit hardest, and elbowed out of the few markets that remain. L. Michael Buchsbaum takes an in-depth look. Organized by the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA), LEE NRW and others, one of the major themes of the 4th International Community Wind Symposium and Community Power Forum held recently in Bonn is the accelerating collapse of the overall onshore wind energy sector in Germany and the particular challenges faced by smaller, often municipal producers. With only 194 megawatts of new onshore wind energy capacity installed throughout the five months of 2019, expansion has plummeted to the lowest level since the beginning of the “Energiewende” or energy transition. “We are now in crisis,” said Stefan Gsänger, WWEA’s Secretary General. In Germany’s largest and most industrial state, North Rhine Westphalia, wind energy expansion is in free-fall, slumping an alarming 95 percent. At this rate, industry trade group WindEurope warns that Germany “will be lucky to reach two-gigawatts” of … Continue reading German renewable energy cooperatives struggle as markets collapse