In the selected target regions Saxony and Thuringia, wind energy has so far witnessed a relatively slow market deployment. Cumulative capacities are comparatively low both in absolute and relative terms. By December 31 2017, the installed capacity of wind turbines reached 1,199 MW in Saxony and 1,470 MW in Thuringia. Hence, installed capacities are among the lowest of all territorial states in Germany (Figure 1). But also specific installed capacities by area are considerably below German average (Figure 2). The same applies to the ratio of installed capacity and available potential (Figure 4).

To provide potential best practice references, two model regions with a high market share of wind energy were selected: Brandenburg and Schleswig-Holstein. Brandenburg has been selected due to historical and structural reasons, as it was a former part of the GDR just as Thuringia and Saxony. Schleswig-Holstein has been selected because there is a long tradition of citizen and community wind energy with relatively high social acceptance rates so far, particularly in the region of Northern Frisia, one of the pioneering wind energy regions in Germany.
The National Desk provides various stakeholders with the possibility of exchange of views and positions and with mutual learning. The focus is on joint development of strategies to increase the acceptance of wind energy.