Teichhau wind farm: Protests reach new heights in Dettingen!

Teichhau wind farm: Protests reach new heights in Dettingen!

A planned wind power project is causing heated debates in the Heidenheim region. The Teichhau wind farm, the project promoted by badenova, includes five Enercon E-175 wind turbines and has a total output of 35 megawatts. The expected electricity generation of around 60 million kilowatt hours per year could supply around 50,000 people with energy. The company submitted an application for approval to the district office at the end of June 2025 and marks the next step for the project. The developers have been working with municipalities, appraisers and property owners since 2020 to gain broad support for the project. badenova reports that extensive studies on noise, shadows and nature conservation have already been carried out.

However, there is also strong resistance to the wind farm. The “Pro Teichhau” association is active against the planned wind turbines and takes part in municipal committee meetings. The association was present with banners during the meeting of the Dettingen local council and the local council in Herbrechtingen. At this meeting, the community's agreement on the five planned wind turbines was discussed. Mayor Matthias Heisler and building authority manager Hannes Bewersdorff pointed out that the approval ultimately lies with the Heidenheim district office and that the municipality can only provide a statement in the participation process. The Gerstetter Council voted in favor of the agreement with 15 votes in favor, 6 against and two abstentions, but the outrage among the opponents remains visible.

Resistance and support

Dettingen's mayor Silke Schock emphasized that the majority in Dettingen supports renewable energies, but that the contest is largely characterized by an aggressive mood and a threatening atmosphere from wind power opponents. Mayor Heisler confirmed that some statements made during the meetings were inappropriate. An interesting detail is that the Gerstetter council already approved the wind priority area in 2014; Now the vote was again in favor of wind power in Teichhau.

The arguments of wind power opponents were weighed up years ago, and community consent could only be refused if there is a new obstacle, which does not currently appear to be the case. As part of the approval process, the focus is also on reviewing the ecological impacts of the systems - a process that is supported by the legal basis of the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG). Politically, it remains to be seen how the debate about wind turbines will develop. Depending on the situation and the required investigations, the approval process can take several years, which could postpone the time frame for possible construction work.

In summary, it can be said that the Teichhau wind farm is highly controversial among both supporters and opponents. The planning and the associated approval procedures must be based on strict requirements in order to receive a positive decision from the district office. Windcomm emphasizes that nature conservation concerns play an important role in the approval of wind turbines whose location is designed to minimize the impact on wildlife.