Wind, Women, Art, Acceptance - Wind Power for the World: The Rise of Modern Wind Energy - page 493

“Produce electricity yourself! Use wind power!” Tempting
ideas. Ulrich Jochimsen and I drove to the “scenes of crime”—to
the electricity rebels in Schönau and to Denmark to the world
famous Folkecenter for Renewable Energy, to Preben Maegaard.
It was being produced; electricity from wind and that was a reality
in 1992. Why should we not also produce wind power in Meck-
lenburg-Vorpommern, in the crippled, voiceless or dumbfounded
East Germany after the reunification?
Now always after giving lectures, presentations and tours of
the Lübow Wind Farm, I ask my visitors, “what are the three basic
requirements for a successful wind energy project?” Location,
financing and grid supply—is the answer. The correct implemen-
tation of the basic conditions or parameters decides over the
feasibility of a wind project. That was also how we wanted to
start 9 years ago.

22.2 Planning Phase

It was not a problem to find a windy location in Mecklenburg-
Vorpommern in 1993. However, we wanted it to be in our vicinity,
in the community of Lübow. The community was supposed to be
the 'landlord' of the ground on which the wind energy farm was to
be erected. The community should be co-owner of the wind farm.
The community was supposed to benefit from the tax advantages
of the wind farm, a private-owned wind farm.
After discussions with the mayor, who wanted to know if the
wind power generation was meant for electricity suppliers, he
was immediately on board when we answered his questions. He
suggested Mühlenberg near Lübow as a good location. “Well, let's
go now and have a look at this place,” was my immediate reply.
In the bright moonlight, Mühlenberg lay hauntingly in front of the
cemetery grounds, not far from the oldest church of Mecklenburg
in Lübow from the 11th century. We enjoyed the magic of the
moment, however, we decided to continue with all further
investigations and explorations in the daytime.
I tracked down 13 possible locations for the wind farm, but
one could not call that real planning. Then, an important 'wind
woman' appeared, Thea Hefti from Switzerland. She was from an