Wind energy offensive divides Switzerland

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If Parliament has its way, wind energy will be lacking. Today, 41 systems supply 0.15 terawatt hours of electricity per year, ie less than one percent of the Swiss electricity mix. Parliament therefore wants to make progress on this point. With the outbreak of war in Ukraine, Switzerland will become even more independent from Russian oil and gas.

The National Council’s Environment Committee is campaigning for a wind offensive. The goal: in the future, wind energy must supply one terawatt hour of electricity per year. The Commission wants to fuel the wind energy turbo and streamline the legal process.

majority for restriction

The Commission’s parliamentary initiative essentially calls for building permits for ready-to-build wind energy projects to be cancelled. In doing so, she literally takes the wind out of the sails of potential objectors. Advanced wind energy projects would have to get the building permit from the canton.

A representative survey carried out by the Sotomo research institute on behalf of Blick shows that a majority of 53 percent is in favor of limiting the options for objections to wind turbines. But she reveals a Röstigraben to this question.

In French-speaking Switzerland, 61 percent are clearly or quite clearly against the demands of environmental politicians in the National Council. This is different in German-speaking Switzerland: here 56 percent are in favor of limiting the ability to speak.

French-speaking Switzerland more affected by new wind energy projects

The rejection in western Switzerland is probably also due to public dismay, as a large proportion of Swiss wind turbines are located in western Switzerland. The largest wind farm in Switzerland is located on Mont Crosin in the Bernese Jura near St-Imier: here are 16 wind turbines.

In addition, five of the six projects that could benefit from the wind turbine are located in French-speaking Switzerland: Mollendruz VD, Eoljorat Sud VD, Sur Grati VD, Charrat VS and Crêt-Meuron NE.

Source:Blick