Wind Power News: Estonia
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Supreme Court: Developing wind energy in significant public interest
The Supreme Court of Estonia has ruled that wind-farm developing is of significant public interest, and that arguments that existing activities in an area planned for a renewable energy site, such as peat-cutting, do not mean that a wind-farm project should be off the table. In the ruling Wednesday, the court found also that state institutions and municipalities must both make viable the relevant planning and establishment of a wind-farm. Planning applications and other issues have mired at least one . . . Complete story »
Supreme Court: Defense reason enough for limiting wind farm developments
The Supreme Court has decided that it is permissible to restrict wind farm developments following national defense considerations. The court found no unconstitutional aspects in legal acts Toila Rural Municipality relied on when refusing a wind farm construction permit. At the heart of the matter was the decision of the Toila Rural Municipality to refuse a building permit for the Päite-Vaivina wind farm. Est Wind Power OÜ applied for a permit for 28 wind turbines in March of 2016. The . . . Complete story »
Estonian court annuls rural municipality’s refusal to grant building permit to wind farm
TALLINN – The Tartu circuit court on Tuesday dismissed an appeal by the Toila rural municipality in the case regarding the construction permit of the Paite-Vaivina wind farm in northeast Estonia. The court dispute concerned whether or not the Toila rural municipality had the right to refuse a construction permit to the Paite-Vaivina wind farm. Developer of the wind farm Est Wind Power OU in November 2015 applied for the Toila rural municipality to issue design conditions for the construction . . . Complete story »
Black Stork nest hampers windfarm development progress
Plans to build a wind farm in southwestern Estonia are being held up after the discovery of a rare Black Stork’s nest in the vicinity. The plot of land at Tootsi, about 30 km northeast of Pärnu, cost state-owned energy provider Eesti Energia €51.5 million when they bought the land at auction in February. While an environmental inspection of the plot was conducted in 2016, no sign of any black storks nests were found at the time, business daily Äripäev . . . Complete story »
Construction of Risti wind farm questioned by local municipality
On Thursday, the Lääne-Nigula council gave the rural municipality government a task to investigate whether the special plan of the 290-meter long wind farm planned by Enefit Green near Risti borough should be changed or suspended. The plans will see a wind farm consisting of 17 to 30 wind turbines up to 290 meters high built in the area. The decision should be made by the council in December. The municipality has developed doubts that it is not possible to . . . Complete story »
Defense ministry wants to tighten up Saaremaa wind farm planning criteria
The defense ministry wants to impose stricter criteria on the location and details of proposed Saaremaa wind farms. The ministry says it opposes the current draft spatial plan, citing changes in defense requirements, regional daily Saarte Hääl reports (link in Estonian). In particular, the ministry has singled out two potential locations at the eastern extremities of the current plan, at Sikassaare, just outside the island’s capital, Kuressaare, and Karujärv, the island’s largest lake, as being unsuitable. Should a wind farm . . . Complete story »
Lääne-Nigula wind farm public discussion gets heated
A public discussion on the proposed wind farm at Piirsalu in Lääne-Nigula municipality, Lääne County brought up plenty of controversy Wednesday evening, current affairs show “Aktuaalne kaamera” (AK) reports. Enefit Green, state-owned electricity generator Eesti Energia’s renewables subsidiary, announced last year they plan to build the facility. The special plan was initiated by the municipality, and the local residents have been given the chance to get acquainted with three possible locations in the pre-selection. AK reported that the wind farm . . . Complete story »
Sõrve residents in Saaremaa vote against wind farms again
The council of the rural municipality district of Torgu has unanimously upheld a decision adopted by its predecessor earlier which opposes the establishment of wind farms in the territory of the district, meaning the Sõrve peninsula of Saaremaa. In the general spatial plan for Saaremaa, Estonia’s biggest island, a draft of which was published recently, a potential area for the development of wind farms is shown in the peninsula with 340 meters as the maximum height of turbines, more than . . . Complete story »
Kihnu worried about large offshore wind farm planned near island
Residents of the Western Estonian island of Kihnu are not satisfied with the way preparations have begun for the construction of an offshore windfarm in Pärnu Bay by Enefit Green, the renewables subsidiary of the Estonian state-owned energy group Eesti Energia. Island residents believe that the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA) has not adhered to all necessary procedures in drawing up an environmental impact assessment. “We were frustrated by the activities of the TTJA – how it has operated . . . Complete story »
Opposition MP: No subsidy for Tootsi wind farm would be better for consumer
State-owned energy group Eesti Energia relinquishing renewable energy support for the Tootsi wind farm would mean consumers having to pay €288 million less in renewable energy fees over a period of 12 years, Social Democratic Party (SDE) MP Lauri Läänemets says. The parliament is scheduled to discuss an SDE bill on Monday that is aimed at preventing an increase in the price of electricity for consumers, spokespeople for opposition party said. The bill proposes that the government oblige Eesti Energia . . . Complete story »
