Germany, long viewed as a pioneer in renewable energy, has made notable progress in expanding its wind power capacity during the first half of 2025. According to new data from the German Wind Energy Association (BWE), the country installed 409 new onshore wind turbines between January and June, with a combined capacity of 2.2 gigawatts (GW). This represents a 67% increase in newly installed capacity compared to the same period last year — a clear sign that momentum is picking up in one of Europe’s largest energy markets.
Moreover, Germany granted permits for 7.8 GW of new wind capacity during the same period — a jump of 55% over the previous year. Even more encouraging is the improvement in the permitting process: the average time to obtain approval for onshore wind projects has dropped from 24 to 18 months, streamlining a major bottleneck in the energy transition.
But while these numbers are promising, they are not enough. Germany’s legally binding target under the Renewable Energy Sources Act is to reach 115 GW of onshore wind capacity by 2030. As of mid-2025, the country has only about 62 GW installed — just over halfway to the goal. This means Germany needs to add at least 7 to 8 GW per year over the next five years to stay on track — a pace it has yet to demonstrate it can sustain.
Still Falling Short of Climate Goals
Experts warn that despite the surge in new turbines, the country remains off-track for its climate targets. The German government aims for 80% of electricity to come from renewables by 2030, but wind development is still hindered by:
- Local opposition and legal challenges, especially from environmental and community groups,
- A shortage of skilled labor and turbine components,
- And grid congestion in high-generation areas, especially in the north, where wind energy is most abundant.
Additionally, while solar energy is booming, wind — especially offshore wind — is expected to carry a significant share of the baseload power generation needed to phase out coal and nuclear by the end of the decade.
What’s Being Done?
The German government has responded with several initiatives, including:
- A reform of planning laws to reduce red tape,
- Financial incentives for municipalities hosting wind farms,
- Stricter federal enforcement of state-level wind development targets.
The coalition government has also introduced the “Wind Power Acceleration Act”, which mandates that 2% of national land area must be reserved for wind energy — a requirement aimed at unlocking more development zones.
Implications for Europe
Germany’s struggle reflects a broader European challenge: the need to dramatically accelerate renewable deployment to meet climate neutrality goals by 2050. While Germany’s scale and federal structure make implementation complex, its success or failure will set the tone for the entire EU.
For Albania and the Western Balkans, Germany’s experience is instructive: ambitious targets must be matched with policy stability, local community engagement, and investment in grid infrastructure to fully unlock wind energy’s potential.