Europeans are bracing for hefty price hikes as utility companies pass on the rising cost of natural gas, oil and electricity caused by the war in Ukraine. Many are shutting off lights and turning down the heat in order to save money.
The people of Feldheim are not like that.
The village has been energy self-sufficient for more than a decade.
In the late 1990s, a number of wind turbines were put up to provide electricity to the village. It built a grid, solar panels, battery storage and more. Extra income was provided to the farmers' cooperative, which pumps hot water through a village-wide central heating system, thanks to the expansion of a biogas plant. There is a hydrogen production facility being built.
Some of the cheapest electricity and natural gas rates in Germany can be found in Feldheim, where 55 wind turbine can be seen but not heard.
Kathleen Thompson says that they can all sleep well at night. The prices are not going to change in the short term.
Thousands of visitors from around the world come to Feldheim each year because of its hands-on approach to production of its own eco-friendly energy.
Germany and other European countries relied on Moscow's coal, oil and natural gas more than they should have.
Fossil fuels and nuclear were responsible for more than half of the country's gross power production in the first six months of the year.
Fossil fuel plants are often fired up to provide electricity to factories in the south because of a lack of transmission capacity.
"Letting locals participate in the project was the key to Feldheim's success," said Michael Knape, the mayor of the town.
While wind parks elsewhere in Germany face opposition, Feldheim's close-knit community approved so many turbines that it exported about 250 times as much electricity as it used.
Knape said that citizens need to feel that their transition is their own.
He credits authorities at the time with not interfering in the experiment that he described as an "experiment" that could have failed. It was in a legal gray area that officials in other countries might have taken into account.
If someone makes a mistake, it's a big problem in Germany. It's only in that way that we make progress.
Large energy companies in Germany tend to build and control vast power projects in contrast to the grassroots approach of Feldheim. High regulatory hurdles can be faced by small-scale efforts.
Knape is hoping that Germany's energy transition can catch up.
The current pressure in Europe has made it clear to everyone that we need to approach this differently.
Projects like this one can be a big part of the solution. Parts of Berlin could be supplied by many little Feldheims.
The 83-year-old is also optimistic. He paid a fee to connect his home to the grids when they were built.
Lower energy prices have paid off for him and the village, which has no unemployment and was recently able to afford new streetlights, pavement and a cultural venue in a converted barn.
The Union bloc should stop attacking the new government because the old Chancellor allowed Germany to become dependent on Russian energy.
He thinks that they should work together.
After seeing the Red Army roll in at the end of World War II, Kappert grew up under communism in East Germany and saw his world turn upside down again with reunification.
He said that they found a path after looking for it. "We're proud of this."
That's right.
Frank Jordans can be followed on the social media site, "wirereporter".
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