Alongside photovoltaics, the expansion of wind energy is an essential pillar of the energy transition - in the fight against global warming and climate change. In the first half of 2021, 240 new wind turbines were built in Germany, as reported by NDR. One fifth of the new plants were erected in Lower Saxony. Lower Saxony also takes the top position in terms of total installations. A little over 6,000 wind turbines stretch into the sky here. That is about 20 % of all German turbines. Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia follow in second and third place.

The pace of new wind turbine construction in the state between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea has increased significantly. According to NDR, 35 new wind turbines were built in Schleswig-Holstein in the whole of 2020, and 39 in the first half of 2021, which is almost as many as the 48 new turbines in Lower Saxony. The increase in the far north is all the more remarkable because Schleswig-Holstein has about three times less area than Lower Saxony.

In Schleswig-Holstein, more old turbines were replaced with significantly more powerful ones between January and June 2021 than in any other federal state. This procedure, called repowering, increases the future energy production and economic efficiency per turbine. According to many experts, it can help wind energy make an even greater contribution to the energy transition. According to a new study, only 20 % more wind turbines than before would be needed to supply Germany completely with renewable energy - together with expanded photovoltaics, offshore wind energy and other renewable energy sources.