Germany's onshore wind expansion rises 7% in first half of 2026

The expansion of onshore wind farms in Germany is continuing to make progress, with 423 wind turbines with a total electrical capacity of around 2.36 gigawatts commissioned in the first half of 2026, industry associations said on Thursday.

That represents a 7% increase compared with the same period last year. As many older turbines were also decommissioned, net expansion amounted to a total capacity of around 1.9 gigawatts, the associations said.

At the end of June, the installed capacity comprised around 29,250 turbines with a capacity of around 70 gigawatts. The government's target of 84 gigawatts of installed capacity by the end of 2026 is likely to be missed, they warned.

Onshore wind energy plays a key role in the energy transition - the gradual phase-out of fossil fuels such as coal and gas. In the first half of 2026, onshore wind turbines generated 53.1 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity - 8% more than in the same period the previous year, according to the German Wind Energy Association and the VDMA Power Systems trade association.

Onshore wind energy remains the most important source of electricity generation in Germany, accounting for 23% of the total. There are often local protests against new wind turbines, which are becoming ever taller.

According to the associations, the capacity of newly approved projects rose by just under 14%, reaching a record of 9.1 gigawatts.

The time taken to complete projects has increased, said Jürgen Quentin of the Wind and Solar Agency, citing problems with grid connection as well as issues with obtaining permits for heavy-goods transport.

The wind energy sector has also strongly criticized the government's reform plans, which aim to reduce the high subsidy costs for renewable energies financed from the federal budget.