In spite of the well-acknowledged environmental benefits of electricity generation from wind energy, there is increasing concern about impacts from wind turbines on local ecosystems and on the natural scenery. A GIS-based approach is developed to analyse the effect of different nature conservation criteria on the wind energy potential in quantitative terms. Results for two case study regions in Germany, representing a coastal area with-quite good wind conditions and an inland region with limited wind resources, illustrate to which extent the ban of wind turbines in, for example, landscape conservation areas, special bird protection areas, or areas with high visual sensitivity reduces the potential for electricity generation from wind energy. We conclude that even under strict nature conservation constraints there is still a large potential for on-shore wind energy use that can be used to establish a sustainable electricity supply in Germany. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All fights reserved.