The expansion of onshore wind power in Germany and the capacity growth of other renewable energy sources need a clear political plan and adjustments to regulatory hurdles that currently impede the construction of thousands of wind turbines, Germany’s economy and energy minister Peter Altmaier and his colleagues from three federal states have said after a national “Wind Power Summit” in Berlin.

“Our wind energy industry currently is having some severe problems,” Altmaier said, referring to the substantial drop in the number of turbines installed, according to Clean Energy Wire.

The number of new turbines has fallen to the lowest level in almost two decades in the first half of 2019. Altmaier said the summit that brought together policymakers, wind industry representatives, conservationists and wind power expansion critics had shown that the stakeholders generally want to make sure Germany’s energy transition can succeed. “Just like with nuclear and coal energy, we want to work towards a big consensus.”

Altmaier said the meeting was meant to serve as a prelude to a set of measures to ensure that the licensing of wind turbines happens more quickly, sufficient building land is designated for wind power, acceptance among local residents increases and legal conflicts with environmental protection are dispelled by regulatory reforms.