Planned 100 MW solar park for the Tarmstedt municipality (Breddorf municipality) in Lower Saxony – Creative image: Xpert.Digital
Local energy transition: How a huge solar park is putting a small community to the test
### Mega solar park divides an entire village: Why there's now resistance ### 100-megawatt plant planned: Is this solar park too big for the community? ### Financial windfall or destruction of nature? In this village, the dispute over a solar project is simmering ### Citizens' initiative against 50-million-euro project: "Our landscape is not an industrial area" ### Despite almost €200,000 in revenue: Why residents are fighting against the new solar park ###
Breddorf municipality strengthens position on solar park project: Controversy over planned photovoltaic system
The Lower Saxony municipality of Breddorf in the Rotenburg district is at the center of an intense debate over one of the largest planned solar parks in the Tarmstedt municipality. The project, by Dortmund-based developer ON-Energy, envisages the construction of a ground-mounted photovoltaic system with a total output of 99.9 megawatts on an area of 68 hectares. The system would stretch between Friedhofstraße in Breddorf and the municipal border with Hepstedt and could generate approximately 97.8 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, equivalent to the needs of 21,700 four-person households.
The planned solar plant is part of a larger renewable energy development in the region. According to current plans, the project would represent an investment of approximately €50 million, with approximately €500,000 per megawatt of output estimated. The module rows are to be installed 1.5 meters apart, with a bottom edge of 80 centimeters high to allow for sheep grazing, and a top edge of 3.5 meters.
Resistance is forming
The Breddorf Citizens' Initiative, a registered association with around 50 members, has formed a protest against this ambitious project. The initiative is led by Mario Kück as chairman, Gabriele Fox as vice-chairman, and Angela Klagge as secretary and treasurer. The critics explicitly emphasize that they are not fundamentally opposed to renewable energies, but rather reject this project specifically due to its dimensions and locational factors.
The citizens' initiative argues that the project is incompatible with the natural habitats and that the beauty, tranquility, and biodiversity of the landscape must be preserved for future generations. It plans to summarize its concerns in a comprehensive 100-page document and submit it to both the municipality and the integrated municipality. The collection of signatures for a residents' petition has already begun, with the aim of encouraging the municipal council to revisit the issue in detail.
The initiative accuses the municipal council of hastily adopting the development plan without adequately examining the project or considering its potential impacts on humans, the environment, flora, and fauna. Public information was also inadequate, and some council members may be too inexperienced to assess such a complex issue.
Community justifies action
Mayor Susanne Schmiedel responded to the criticism with a detailed statement, emphasizing that the municipality has been intensively and transparently addressing the issue of solar parks since 2022. The plans were presented, discussed, and recorded in several public meetings, with relevant articles published in local newspapers about each meeting. The municipality intends to continue to provide open information and involve citizens in decision-making.
The process began in 2022 when a private homeowners' association approached the municipality and requested the initiation of a development plan for land on Friedhofstrasse. Originally, a community solar park was planned, but it became clear that the homeowners' association would not be able to access the grid. Therefore, the professional project developer ON-Energy, which is open to citizen and municipal participation, was brought on board. Citizen participation through an energy cooperative with up to 20 percent direct participation is possible.
The municipality argues that the proposed plots of land comply with the suitable areas defined in the Tarmstedt Joint Municipality's municipal management plan. While the district does not specify a minimum distance from residential buildings, and the Joint Municipality stipulates 100 meters, the Breddorf Municipality has stipulated a minimum distance of 200 meters from residential buildings and the cemetery. The site must be landscaped to provide privacy.
Energy transition and municipal responsibility
Mayor Schmiedel cautions that a local focus on local energy needs would jeopardize Germany's position as a business location and its energy supply in the medium term. She emphasizes that community projects create local added value and revenue that directly benefit the community and can be used for clubs, kindergartens, playgrounds, and general infrastructure. The project could make an important contribution to climate-friendly energy supply and the regional energy transition.
This argument fits into Lower Saxony's broader climate goals. The state has committed to becoming greenhouse gas neutral by 2040 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent compared to 1990 by 2030. To achieve these goals, energy and hydrogen demand are to be fully covered by renewable energies by 2040. Specifically, at least 65 gigawatts of installed capacity for electricity generation from photovoltaic systems are to be realized by 2035, of which at least 50 gigawatts are to come from systems other than ground-mounted systems.
Lower Saxony's Climate Protection Act stipulates that at least 0.5 percent of the state's area should be used for electricity generation by 2033. With the planned solar parks, the Tarmstedt municipality would far exceed its area target of 0.47 percent if all projects were realized. This demonstrates the significant contribution the region would make to the energy transition.
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Solar park between conflicts and opportunities: The Breddorf solution
Planning law challenges
The Breddorf municipal council has approved the development of a development plan for a special photovoltaic zone. To facilitate the project, the Tarmstedt municipal association must amend its land-use plan accordingly. The issue could be discussed at the municipal council meeting, although the process is still in its early stages.
The challenges of land use planning are also evident in other projects in the region. For example, a farmer in Breddorf, who wanted to build a 48-hectare solar farm, was given a preliminary rejection by the municipal council because he could not prove that the planned facility would actually be connected to the regional power grid. This illustrates the technical and administrative complexities involved in implementing solar farms.
Economic aspects and citizen participation
The economic dimensions of the project are considerable. The Renewable Energy Sources Act allows municipalities to participate directly in the revenues from solar parks, with 0.2 cents per kilowatt-hour generated flowing into the municipal coffers. With the planned annual production of 97.8 million kilowatt-hours, this would generate approximately €195,600 annually for the municipality. In addition, there are trade tax revenues and lease payments for the property owners.
The possibility of direct citizen participation through an energy cooperative with up to 20 percent stake in the project represents an important aspect of local acceptance. Such participation models have proven successful in other regions in increasing public support while simultaneously strengthening regional value creation.
Nature conservation and landscape protection
A central point of criticism of the citizens' initiative concerns nature conservation and the preservation of the landscape. The proposed area is currently largely used as arable land, which, according to the mayor, represents a pure corn desert. She argues that a well-vegetated photovoltaic field is by no means worse for people and nature than an agricultural steppe, but could, on the contrary, improve biodiversity.
This assessment reflects current scientific findings on solar farms. Studies show that properly planned ground-mounted photovoltaic systems can have positive effects on biodiversity, especially when combined with extensive grazing or near-natural landscaping. The planned sheep grazing beneath the modules could contribute to the ecological enhancement of intensively used arable land.
Regional energy transition strategy
The project fits into a broader regional strategy for the expansion of renewable energies. In 2024, the Tarmstedt municipality prepared a potential area study for ground-mounted photovoltaic systems, based on various tools and planning documents. This study categorizes areas into favorable, restricted, and excluded areas and serves as the basis for further planning decisions.
The planned area in Breddorf is classified as a restricted area II in the potential area analysis, meaning it is not particularly suitable for the construction of open-space photovoltaic systems, but can be overcome in individual cases. The municipality nevertheless sees the possibility of implementation, as no other suitable sites are available within the municipality.
Comparable conflicts and solutions
The situation in Breddorf is exemplary of similar conflicts throughout Germany. In many municipalities, large-scale solar park projects are encountering resistance from citizens' initiatives that put forward similar arguments to those in Breddorf. Acceptance of ground-mounted photovoltaic systems varies considerably from region to region, with a relatively high approval rate among the population in Lower Saxony at 80.7 percent.
Successful projects are often characterized by early and comprehensive citizen participation, transparent communication, and concrete benefits for the local community. The possibility of financial participation, as envisaged in Breddorf, can significantly increase acceptance. At the same time, careful site selection, taking nature conservation and landscape aspects into account, is crucial.
Technical and legal framework
The legal framework for ground-mounted photovoltaic systems is complex. While the Renewable Energy Sources Act defines certain areas in which systems are eligible for compensation, special urban development planning is usually required for agricultural land. Lower Saxony is one of the federal states that has created the possibility for projects with a total capacity of up to 150 megawatts per year to be awarded contracts in tenders.
Compensation for large-scale plants is determined through tenders issued by the Federal Network Agency, with average prices in recent rounds ranging from 5 to 5.5 cents per kilowatt hour. This makes solar parks economically attractive and explains the strong interest of project developers in suitable sites.
Compromise solutions
The discussions in Breddorf exemplify the challenges of implementing the energy transition locally. While climate policy goals require an accelerated energy transition, the concerns of the local population and nature conservation must also be taken into account. The citizens' initiative signals a willingness to discuss the issue and would potentially agree to a reduction in the area.
Such compromise solutions could be a way to both support the energy transition goals and address local concerns. The mayor has already announced that the area could be significantly reduced and that wildlife corridors are desired. This shows that, despite the controversial discussion, there is room for constructive solutions.
The development in Breddorf is being closely followed by other municipalities in the region, as it could set a precedent for similar projects. The way the conflict is resolved could serve as a model for the further development of solar energy in Lower Saxony and demonstrate how local energy transition projects can be successfully implemented with citizen participation.
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