The Federal government speaks in terms of wind power, a power word

In the Canton of Glarus a harsh Wind is blowing, at least politically. Four to five wind turbines, 200 metres high, to deliver in the vicinity of the village of Bilten, in the future, electricity for 5000 to 6000 households, so it see the plans of the St. Gallo-Appenzell, of the power plant AG (SAK).

the projects in the linth plain, a dispute has flared up. The opponents, who have formed the club Linth-against the wind, to warn of "optical pressure", noise as loud as car horns as well as the shade and Ice. Farmers fear for their existence, because the project will ploughing the cultural landscape. Potential Newcomers want to blow your house purchase in Bilten, should be implemented in the wind farm, as planned.

"We are not opposed to the principle of wind power plants", says Siegfried Hettegger of the Linth-against the wind. "We are, however, for sufficient distances to houses, in order to protect the health and quality of life of local residents." At least 700 meters between a Wind turbine and residential buildings; the application of the Association provides for it, the Voters of Glarus Nord in the autumn. The planned wind turbines are not much more than 300 meters of individual residential houses located less than 600 feet from residential zones, calculates Hettegger. "Much too close."

What are the consequences of a 700-metre rule would be unclear. The SAK is not in a comment. The Federal government has no fixed distance regulations. Decisive for him is the observance of the noise limits. In practice, approximate values are, however, not of a binding character: in the case of individual buildings, 300 metres in residential zones 500.

The resistance in Glarus-Nord has a role model: Triengen. In 2016, the voting citizens of the Lucerne municipality to set a minimum distance of 700 meters. It Swiss power stations (CKW) for the Central a constraint to a lot of: they stopped the wind Park project.

A spicy findings

so What, if Triengen Glarus-Nord and other municipalities or cantons? A new report by the Federal government comes before this Background, a piquant findings: Although the cantons and the municipalities regulations may adopt, with implications for the wind power more of a hindrance. Due to the energy strategy 2050 and the resulting Federal legislation, but they also have a support contract for the wind energy, as the report makes clear. Prohibited provisions that thwart the Federal law, or "thwarting motives" excessively difficult-to-be. The report, fixed minimum clearances set.

More makes the opinion clear, what to do, when municipalities and cantons do not track: The Federal government could go to the Federal court and there is both a decree as well as an individual's decision to appeal, "but prior to an agreement by negotiation is desirable".

In order to the legal evaluation, the Federal office for energy (BFE). Wind force opponents hold the opinion that according to the cost of temporary settlement of around 25'000 Swiss francs, for a "purchased propaganda font". The BFE shall keep it. "The report is not meant to last for the cantons, there is the question of minimum distances is always asked time and again," says spokeswoman Marianne Zünd. Immediate consequences it got.

in A statement, the SVP national Council Thomas de Courten irritated. The legal opinion early in fact, no consequences, handle it is a waste of taxpayers ' money. Or but the BFE was not simply sincere. For de Courten is clear: The BFE've been looking for with the ordered reports only the confirmation of the fact that the energy strategy was legally weights higher than the cantonal sovereignty and local autonomy. The club Linth-against the wind looks the similar. Speaker Hettegger refers to an opinion given by the Association in 2017 in order – and came to the opposite finding. Accordingly, local distance rules do not contravene Federal.

So currently, the case is Bilten: The conflict could shift soon at the Federal level. Reason, a Motion submitted by the national Council de Courten, 2017. He calls for a legally specified minimum distance; this should be at least ten times the height of the respective wind turbine. A wind Turbine as in Bilten is planned to be 200 meters high, then the distance to a Minimum of 2 kilometers.

The proposal is pending. He has the potential to impede the Expansion of wind energy "virtually complete", like Karl Vogler feared, CSP national Council and a Board member of the wind energy Association Suisse Eole. Already with a 700-Meter-rule, the current group has calculated CKW, in the case of Triengen, could not have been created in the densely populated Switzerland, 29 of the 34 already-built large wind turbines.

However, the 700-metre rule that meets with acceptance. In Basel-land Canton in the drafting of the cantonal structure plan has been applied – with one exception – this distance, like Nico Busch Auer of the cantonal building Department says. "Because the Chance is big that there are no noise problems." For Hettegger by the club Linth-against the wind, the example shows that the own claim was by no means radical.

Better in the mountains?

To the next in the dispute to Biltens wind Park, the Glarus cantonal Parliament. Next Wednesday the members of Parliament decide whether the Glarus cantonal Council must be on the books. The Executive branch had removed last November, the linth plain, as the location from the cantonal structure plan, because wind turbines could impede the long-term development of villages. The new BFE-expert opinion is the lead councillor Kaspar Becker (BDP). In Detail we have not discussed it yet. Becker emphasizes, however: "The Canton of Glarus provides a place for wind energy." However, in the linth plain, but in the area of Pre-in the municipality of Glarus Süd, held in the settlement area in the mountains.

This could, at least in Glarus in reality, what the Association Suisse has pointed out to Eole, after the fall of Triengen, Luzern: that wind farms would stand in the face of resistance in inhabited areas, increasingly, in less densely populated areas – and thus "the effects on landscape, Fauna and Flora tends to be significantly larger".

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 19.04.2019, 18:50 PM