The German energy transition strategy calls for a reform of the German energy sector. As a result, the German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) passed in 2000 is widely regarded as successful legislation for promoting bioenergy development. More than 1000 biogas plants were constructed in Central Germany (CG) between 2000 and 2014. Despite this, few studies have been conducted for this period, which systematically investigate how environmental, social and economic factors, as well as various EEG amendments have impacted biogas production or what the environmental consequences of biogas production development in CG have been. The impacts of environmental, social and economic factors and different EEG amendments on biogas production decisions in CG were quantified using a multivariate linear regression model and the event study econometric technique. A GIS-based spatial analysis was also conducted to provide insight into the changes to agricultural land use that resulted from the development of biogas plants during the EEG period. The main finding was that the income diversification effect resulting from biogas production was the most important factor in a farmer’s decision to adopt biogas production. In addition, all of the EEG amendments had a significant influence on the adoption of biogas production; however, EEG III and IV, which tried to promote small-scale plants, were unable to reduce the average size of the plants constructed in these two amendment periods. From a landscape perspective, there was a striking increase in the cultivation of silage maize in CG from 2000 to 2014. Silage maize was intensively cultivated in regions with a high installed biogas plant capacity. Since the first EEG amendment, permanent grassland area slightly increased while arable land area declined in CG. The adoption of biogas production in CG was strongly driven by economic incentives for the farmers, more precisely, by the incentive to diversify their income sources. In addition to increase the subsidy, future EEG amendments should find new measures to encourage the adoption of small-scale biogas plants, which had been unsuccessful in EEG amendments III and IV.

中文翻译：

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《德国可再生能源法》以及环境，社会和经济因素对沼气厂采用和农业土地利用变化的影响

德国的能源过渡战略要求改革德国的能源部门。结果，2000年通过的《德国可再生能源法》（EEG）被广泛认为是促进生物能源发展的成功立法。在2000年至2014年之间，德国中部（CG）建造了1000多个沼气厂。尽管如此，在此期间进行的研究很少，这些研究系统地调查了环境，社会和经济因素以及各种EEG修正案如何影响沼气生产或CG沼气生产发展对环境的影响是什么。环境的影响 使用多元线性回归模型和事件研究计量经济学技术，对CG中沼气生产决策的社会和经济因素以及不同的EEG修正进行了量化。还进行了基于GIS的空间分析，以了解由EEG时期沼气厂的发展导致的农业用地变化。主要发现是，沼气生产所产生的收入多样化效应是农民决定采用沼气生产的最重要因素。此外，所有的EEG修正案都对采用沼气生产产生了重大影响。然而，试图推广小规模植物的EEG III和IVG无法降低这两个修正期内建造的植物的平均规模。从景观的角度来看，从2000年到2014年，CG的青贮玉米的种植有了惊人的增长。青贮玉米在沼气厂装机容量高的地区进行了集约化种植。自第一次EEG修订以来，CG的永久草地面积略有增加，而耕地面积则有所减少。CG中采用沼气生产的动力很大，是对农民的经济激励，更确切地说，是对农民收入来源多样化的激励。除了增加补贴外，未来的脑电图修正案还应找到新的措施，以鼓励采用小型沼气厂，而这在脑电图修正案三和四中是不成功的。自第一次EEG修订以来，CG中的永久草地面积略有增加，而耕地面积则有所减少。CG中采用沼气生产的动力很大，是对农民的经济激励，更确切地说，是对农民收入来源多样化的激励。除了增加补贴外，未来的脑电图修正案还应找到新的措施，以鼓励采用小型沼气厂，而这在脑电图修正案三和四中是不成功的。自第一次EEG修订以来，CG中的永久草地面积略有增加，而耕地面积则有所减少。CG中采用沼气生产的动力很大，是对农民的经济激励，更确切地说，是对农民收入来源多样化的激励。除了增加补贴外，未来的脑电图修正案还应找到新的措施，以鼓励采用小型沼气厂，而这在脑电图修正案三和四中是不成功的。