Environmental friendliness must be better assessed: complaint against wind farm in the Vaudois Jura approved

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The “Bel Coster” wind farm project in the Vaud Jura needs to be revised. The Federal Court has declared the cross-community shared use plan invalid. Additional studies are needed on the possible environmental consequences.

In a ruling published on Wednesday, the Federal Court accepted the appeal of several associations, including Helvetia Nostra, as well as the municipality of Jougne (F) and three private individuals. The shared use plan adopted in 2018 by the municipalities of L’Abergement, Ballaigues and Lignerolle was annulled, as were the open spaces and access road planned in this context.

The highest Swiss court thus went against the administrative court of Vaud, which had rejected the complaint in 2022. At the time, this authority considered that certain additional clarifications on bird and water protection could be implemented as part of the building permit procedure.

Better clarify environmental compatibility

The federal judges referred the case back to the canton. They requested that the project file be supplemented on a number of points relating to environmental compatibility. The judgment determined that the missing clarifications regarding water protection, migratory birds and the distances between the breeding and mating sites of the bird species woodcock, red kite, golden eagle and eagle owl from the planned wind turbines must be implemented as part of the use planning and not only in the building permit process.

The Federal Court did not rule out that the results could have an impact on the location or number of wind turbines and therefore on the volume of electricity production. These changes can in turn influence the weighing of interests.

Wind farm of national importance

However, in the opinion of the Federal Court, the issues relating to planning and expected electricity generation had been sufficiently investigated. The expected total production is over 20 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year, allowing the wind farm to be classified as a project of national importance.

Furthermore, the judges did not address the complainants’ objections regarding the protection of landscapes and monuments and considered the clarifications regarding the risk that the rotor blades of the wind turbines could throw ice on the hiking trails sufficient.

The “Bel Coster” project, supported by the energy company Alpiq and the three municipalities, envisages the construction of nine wind turbines with a height of 210 meters on the heights of the Vaud Jura between Suchet and Mont-d’Or (F). The expected production is between 65 and 80 GWh per year. (SDA)

Source:Blick