Grenchenberg wind farm: Federal court wants two fewer turbines
The Federal Court has approved four of the six wind turbines planned for Grenchenberg. Two were cancelled due to Bird Life's appeal.
Isabelle Chevalley, the president of Suisse Eole, is not pleased with the decision from Lausanne: "The Federal Court takes too little account of the fact that Swiss wind power is system-relevant for our CO2-free winter power supply. It is particularly disconcerting that the complaint primarily criticized the measures for bird protection. The biggest enemy of birds is and remains climate change, two thirds of the species are threatened by it. But electricity from renewable sources - including wind power - is essential for climate protection."
The federal government, canton and municipality have approved
According to the federal court decision, on the Grenchenberg two planned wind turbines will be cancelled. As soon as the written ruling is available, Stadtwerke Grenchen (SWG) will also analyze the decision from Lausanne together with the responsible authorities of the city of Grenchen and the canton of Solothurn and decide on the further course of action, as Suisse Eole emphasizes.
The planning for the Grenchenberg wind farm was already initiated in 2007 due to the excellent wind conditions. Both the municipality of Grenchen, the canton of Solothurn and the federal government had approved the project with six wind turbines. In 2013, the environmental impact assessment was completed. In addition to the wind resource, the existing infrastructure also represents a good starting point for the necessary development and connection of a wind farm to the power grid, as the trade organization Suisse Eole writes. If all six turbines were built, SWG would be able to cover around 25% of its electricity needs with wind power in the future.
Renewables versus biodiversity
Since the six wind turbines according to BirdLife Switzerland large natural values, it has had the project reviewed. Now the Federal Court has come to the conclusion that the wind farm must be reduced in size. The reason: It threatens breeding sites of endangered bird species. Moreover, additional measures must be taken to avoid collision victims, BirdLife Switzerland also writes. For the organization, climate change and the biodiversity crisis are two equally existential crises. However, one cannot be solved at the expense of the other, it said. According to BirdLife Switzerland, the scientific bodies (IPCC and IPBES for biodiversity) have clearly expressed that the two crises can only be solved together. The Swiss Academy of Sciences emphasized in its fact sheet "Addressing climate change and the biodiversity crisis together". of August 2021 that it was important to approach the two integrally and implement measures particularly prudently.
One supports the use of renewable energies. However, wind farms must comply with nature conservation regulations in the same way as other plants, according to BirdLife Switzerland. A nature-friendly energy transition and decarbonization are possible. This requires thrift in the consumption of energy, energy efficiency, a suitable electricity mix and a consistent consideration of biodiversity in planning. The greatest potential lies in photovoltaics on already sealed surfaces, the bird conservationists said. Contrary to popular belief, photovoltaics can now also supply substantial amounts of winter electricity.
According to BirdLife Switzerland, the long procedures lead to considerable additional work. There is an urgent need for much more careful guideline planning for wind farms: the occurrence of endangered bat and bird species must be documented sufficiently and at an early stage, and the effects of wind farms on the animals must be taken into account. This is the only way to avoid unnecessary effort on all sides. Finally, BirdLife notes that it had already communicated in 2009 that a wind farm at the Grenchenberg site should not contradict the legal protection of biodiversity.
