Initiatives: the Swiss people will arbitrate the battle of wind turbines

Bern wants to put initiatives: swiss people will arbitrate the turbo on the wind turbines. Similarly, Energy is part of green package Before helping Switzerland get out of the fossil. Therefore, An acceleration of procedures – which sometimes last years due to oppositions – for facilities of national interest is. In addition, also being developed. However, this momentum could come up against a major obstacle. In addition, Two federal initiatives aimed at restricting the expansion of these modern windmills are at a touching end. Furthermore, They each display more than 120,000 paraphs on the clock and should be deposited on Friday July 25 at the Federal Chancellery.

No wind turbines in the forest

The first wants to prohibit the construction of wind turbines in dense wooded forests. For example, pastures or less than 150 meters. Consequently, “The edges are just as important as the forests. Therefore, if not, for initiatives: swiss people will arbitrate biodiversity,” explains Elias Vogt, president of the Swiss free landscape at the origin of the texts. However, many wind turbines are planned in the forests. Nevertheless, This is the case, for example, of 96 of the 100 wind turbines provided in the canton of Zurich. Similarly, ”

For the entrepreneur, there are enough trees without trees to build these installations. Nevertheless, “There is also a huge potential in the plains or on small hills. In addition, No need to encroach on the forests. Therefore, ” And to give as an example the wind farm project of La Joux-du-Plane (ne). Therefore, behind the Chasseral where he holds his hotel, or that of the Col du Gothard, in Ticino.

The second text requires the approval of wind turbines by the populations of the municipalities of implantation. Nevertheless, borders impacted. “In German -speaking Switzerland, the cantons are increasingly removing this right from the municipalities,” notes The 29 -year -old young man. The executive of Saint-Gall made such a decision less than eight months ago. It is unacceptable in a democratic state. ”

Initiatives. if they are approved by the people and the majority of cantons, will have a retroactive effect on 1^is May 2024. The constructions made after this date will have to be dismantled at the expense of the sponsors if they have been erected in the forest. if they do not obtain the green light from the people in the other regions. The already approved projects of the Joux-du-Plane. Crêt-Meron, Montperreux and Mountain of moundsin the canton of Neuchâtel, are however exempt: they will not iron by the polls.

Biodiversity preserved in Switzerland

Initiatives: swiss people will arbitrate

For the moment, no major organization or large party has supported these texts. Not even the Greens, whose protection of animals and nature is at the heart of claims. Nor the UDC, which has taken up renewable energies and pushes to reopen the initiatives: swiss people will arbitrate nuclear door.

“Biodiversity is already protected and will remain it,” emphasizes Lisa Mazzone, president of the Greens. All the cautèles were taken to take care of it in the new law on electricity (Editor’s note: approved. in the polls in June 2024). Wind turbines can only be built in forest areas already exploited with access roads. which have little value in terms of biodiversity. ” As for the argument of bird killing wind turbines, it recalls that the roads are much more dangerous for fauna. “And then, the choice of places wishes to protect them.”

For the Geneva, the initiators put forward pretext arguments, even fallacious to reach their end. “They actually want to purely and simply prevent the construction of wind turbines. The potential of wind is restricted in Switzerland. We speak of 200 to 300 wind turbines and not 1000, as the initiators claim. Pulling a line on it would be to compromise the safe. lasting supply of electricity and to increase our dependence on fossil imports from abroad. ”

Weighing of interests around wind turbines

At the other end of the political spectrum. Nicolas Kolly (UDC/FR) is said to be against any ban on principle. “We don’t do omelettes without breaking eggs. Any energy infrastructure has an impact on the landscape, on biodiversity or the economy. First of all, we must weigh the pros and cons, and see if the advantages prevail over the disadvantages. I prefer to build wind turbines on forest ridges with a lot of wind -. plant trees in compensation – only in wind -free plains, where there would be a lot of homes. ”

The national councilor is aware that some members of his party could have a different opinion. could support the texts during the debates in Parliament. “But, in my eyes, we need a complementary energy mix, initiatives: swiss people will arbitrate including wind.”

This lack of heavyweight support from politics may partly explain the tedious harvesting of signatures. It has long stagnated, before accelerating in the last months. So much so that the initiators currently have only 90,000 paraphs validated by text. “But we receive thousands of municipalities every day.” Elias Vogt keeps hope of having the right account for the end of the week.

Positive impact detected on the edge of the forest on biodiversity

Barely launched. antieolian initiatives have caused shields in the environments favorable to renewable energies. The umbrella association of the economy of renewable energies. energy efficiency (Aeesuisse) accused the Swiss free landscape of want to torpedo the energy turning point desired by the Swiss people.

Switzerland Eole played more tactical and attempted to initiatives: swiss people will arbitrate reassure, stressing The positive impact of wind turbines in German forests. In Verenafohren park, not far from Schaffheus, the edges were lightened due to the construction work. A phenomenon that has enabled the appearance of around thirty different herbaceous flowers. plants, according to a rapport of the regional section of the German association for the protection of nature and the environment. Among them, some are particularly rare and protected, such as the hoof of Venus.

Further north. in the Land of Rhineland-Palatinate, where wind turbines have also found their place in the middle of the forest, experience has shown that deer, rabbits, foxes and partridges get used to rotation blades, still argues Aeesuisse. Wind turbines is certainly a source of disturbance, but these animals would quickly understand that it is not threatening.

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