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Wind Power News: Switzerland
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort 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.
Woodland versus wind turbine: Identifying drivers of forest clearances in Switzerland
Special permission is required to clear forest in Switzerland. Until now, the system has worked well. However, plans to increase wind and solar electricity generation could increase conflicts. Around 185 hectares of forest—equivalent to 260 football pitches—are cleared in Switzerland each year. This is not due to felling or storm damage, but to create space for roads, mobile phone masts, drinking water catchment installations, gravel pits and other infrastructure. And even more forest is expected to be sacrificed as renewable . . . Complete story »
Refus de sacrifier notre région
Comme de nombreux habitants, j’ai reçu la propagande pro éolienne de Suisse Eole. J’ai entendu sa présidente justifiant ce tout-ménage par le besoin d’informer les populations concernées par la planification cantonale. Cette pseudo-information décrit l’éolien comme la solution miracle à nos problèmes d’approvisionnement en électricité. Elle énumère ses avantages en passant comme chat sur braise sur tous ses graves aspects négatifs. Le pire, c’est la caution officielle donnée à cette action par un cadre de l’Office fédéral de l’énergie (OFEN). . . . Complete story »
Swiss eye faster approvals for wind and hydro energy projects
Switzerland wants to speed up approval times and cut red tape for hydroelectric-and wind-energy projects. The government will propose new rules and regulations to simplify the procedure for hydro, wind as well as solar projects and installations, while still maintaining environmental protections. Some projects can take more than 20 years from project design to implementation, and that is too long, the government said. Thanks to hydroelectric dams, Switzerland produces enough power for homes and businesses in the summer but must . . . Complete story »
Swiss wind park ordered to scale back to protect birds
A new wind park in Switzerland must scale back its plans to deliver renewable energy in order to protect vulnerable bird species, the country’s supreme court ruled on Wednesday. Plans for the new wind park, in the Grenchenberg region in the Jura mountains, had sparked opposition from ornithologists and conservationists, who argued it would interfere with local populations of woodlarks and peregrine falcons, deemed vulnerable in Switzerland. The wind park had aimed to deliver 16 megawatts of energy by 2023 . . . Complete story »
Reindeer herders make Swiss energy firm reform investment policy
A case involving a Swiss energy company and the indigenous Sami people from Norway has resulted in the adoption of an opt-out clause in contracts if human rights are violated by third parties. This could put more pressure on Swiss companies to behave responsibly when they invest overseas. After months of back and forth and four mediation meetings, Swiss NGO Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) reached an agreement this month with Swiss energy company BKW on the latter’s investment in . . . Complete story »
Green energy versus indigenous people
After years of resistance from the indigenous Sami community, Swiss energy company BKW had a rethink about its investment in a Norwegian wind power project that could adversely affect traditional reindeer grazing pastures. The Norwegian court had rejected a first complaint from the community in the name of public interest. The project has been completed even though legal proceedings are still ongoing. The wind farm project was realised thanks to Swiss backing from Credit Suisse and energy firm BKW. After . . . Complete story »
Swiss wind power held up by legal challenges
For a decade, wind energy in Switzerland has been stalled. Opponents have used every possible means to stop projects. At the end of September, one community will vote on the future of this kind of energy. Power derived from wind is already contributing 20% to the German energy mix. But unlike its northern neighbour, Switzerland does not have extended, empty, flat surfaces of territory. Made up of slopes and valleys, the Swiss landscape does not lend itself to the installation . . . Complete story »
Für manche ein Symbol des Fortschritts, für andere Teufelszeug: Deutschland hadert mit seinen Windturbinen
Aus Sicht der Skeptiker begann das Übel vor ziemlich genau 28 Jahren. Damals beschloss Deutschland, erneuerbare Energien per Gesetz zu privilegieren. Seitdem gilt eine staatlich zugesicherte Mindestvergütung für Strom aus Sonne und Wind. Das Landschaftsbild hat sich dadurch vielerorts verändert. Eine längere Autofahrt durch die Bundesrepublik führt unweigerlich an Dutzenden Windrädern vorbei. «Auf dem Land ist fast jede Kommune davon betroffen», sagt Nikolai Ziegler. Er ist Vorsitzender von Vernunftkraft, dem Dachverband der Windkraftgegner. Laut Ziegler gibt es in Deutschland mehr . . . Complete story »
Swiss government says no wind turbines within 300m of homes
After the Swiss public voted in favour of a new energy strategy on 21 May 2017, the government has been busy fine tuning its plans. Switzerland has only constructed 34 wind turbines over the last 20 years, which produce around 0.15% of the nation’s electricity, according to three experts at EPFL and UNIL, two universities in Lausanne. These experts say around 100 high-potential locations could accommodate 700 turbines. Together they could generate 7 percent of Switzerland’s electricity. On 28 June . . . Complete story »
«Energiepolitischer Fehler» (Energy policy mistakes)
Otto Schily, der frühere deutsche Innenminister, warnt vor ökologischen und sozialen Folgen des Energiegesetzes. (Otto Schily, the former German Minister of the Interior, warns against the ecological and social consequences of the Energy Act.) Der Mann ist eigentlich ein Grüner. 1980 war Otto Schily einer der Gründer dieser neuen Partei in Deutschland. Später trat er in die SPD über und wurde deutscher Innenminister – und zwar genau dann, als Deutschland den Weg einschlug, über den in der Schweiz am Sonntag . . . Complete story »
