Violent protest against wind power: Citizens demand rethinking of MSE!

Violent protest against wind power: Citizens demand rethinking of MSE!

Things are getting lively in the Mecklenburg Lake District region. Important discussions about new wind energy areas are scheduled for Thursday. The Mecklenburg Lake District Regional Planning Association has invited people to the association meeting, which will take place at 4 p.m. in the House of Culture and Education in Neubrandenburg. A central point on the agenda is the revision of the spatial development plan for wind energy areas. The focus is on 56 wind priority areas that will be put up for discussion, Nordkurier informed.

But while the planners are meeting, a strong wind of protest is blowing outside. The citizens' initiative “Gegenwind Penzliner Land” is organizing a demonstration that will take place on September 18th at 3 p.m. on the market square. A signal is being sent against the planned wind turbines. This initiative is supported by a broad alliance that is dissatisfied with the current plans. The action alliance chairman Norbert Schumacher has already submitted a motion to reject the plans, which has been expressly confirmed by the citizens' initiative. Sven Flechner, the mayor of Penzlin, is also in favor of a resolution that calls on the federal and state governments to make changes to the expansion of wind power.

A look beyond the borders

The topic of wind energy is causing a stir throughout Germany. As Tagesschau reports, there are even 440,000 collected statements against planned wind power areas in the Neckar-Alb region in Baden-Württemberg. Citizens' initiatives are well networked and are fighting to influence wind power planning. Critics accuse these initiatives of delaying planning, while the initiatives argue that only careful handling of the plans can prevent further damage.

But wind energy is not only being discussed in the Mecklenburg Lake District and Baden-Württemberg. The topic has also been addressed in Borchen, a municipality in North Rhine-Westphalia. As can be read on the website of the municipality of Borchen, there is a draft for wind energy zones in the municipality, which was publicly displayed from October 24th to November 24th, 2018. Affected citizens and associations can obtain information and submit statements.

The wind is changing

Whatever the plans for the use of wind power actually bring, one thing is certain: the socially relevant debate about the energy transition and its effects has long been in full swing. More and more people are calling for transparent planning and are voicing their concerns. The possible influence of citizens' initiatives on future developments remains exciting and could be groundbreaking for the energy transition. One thing is certain: there is something going on!