Pfaffenhofen celebrates: 100 percent clean energy through a community wind farm!

Pfaffenhofen celebrates: 100 percent clean energy through a community wind farm!

A historical milestone for the city of Pfaffenhofen: On December 19, 2024 at 10 a.m., Andreas Herschmann flipped the switch and the Pfaffenhofen community wind farm fed clean electricity into the local grid for the first time. “100 percent clean electricity supply for Pfaffenhofen is now possible,” emphasized the BEG board. With the three powerful Enercon E-138 wind turbines, each generating 4.2 megawatts, the city is the first medium-sized center in the region to meet the requirements for a complete electricity supply from renewable energies.

However, the road to this success was long and rocky. The Pfaffenhofen Citizens' Energy Cooperative (BEG) began planning in 2016, which was initiated following a positive referendum to build wind turbines. After numerous hurdles, including the approval process and resistance from wind power opponents, the BEG only received building permits in 2020. Although the wind turbines were ready for operation in March 2024, the connection to the grid was delayed due to the grid expansion by Bayernwerk. However, through strategic coordination, the BEG was able to put it into operation by the end of 2024, which will result in a higher feed-in tariff of around 2 cents per kilowatt hour and thus financial relief for the members of the cooperative pfaffenhofen-today.de reported.

The future is green

With a total output of 12.6 megawatts, the wind farm in the Förnbacher Forest will not only cover Pfaffenhofen's electricity needs, but also make an important contribution to the regional energy transition. The system technology was optimized with a view to the stricter distance regulations, so that the wind turbines were the only ones of their kind in Bavaria that could be built under these conditions. The BEG also shows that the wind turbines, in combination with existing systems, now cover around a quarter of the city's energy needs from wind power. The preparations for construction and the consideration of species protection demonstrate how carefully the project was developed, so that the results can now be seen by citizens. According to Herschmann, the patience and commitment of everyone involved in climate protection has now finally been rewarded.