A bad game with a lot of money
The debate about the expansion of wind turbines in Upper Austria is becoming more and more heated – and unfortunately also more and more outrageous by the wind power lobby. In the Mühlviertel alone, up to 50 of these 260 meter high wind turbines are to be built in the sensitive forest areas on the Czech border from Vorderweißenbach via Bad Leonfelden, Rainbach, Schenkenfelden all the way to Sandl, with speeds of up to 340 km/h at the rotor tips. Communities and citizens are lured by the project operators with money and cheaper electricity, while the valuable natural landscapes are lost for all subsequent generations. “We will check whether operators like the association are not to be held accountable here, for example under Section 307b of the German Criminal Code (“Advantages to influence”). “It cannot be the case that wind farm investors manipulate affected communities and citizens before the relevant votes or referendums and buy more or less,” says Manuel Krautgartner.
Landowners receive up to 42,000 euros per year if they tolerate a wind power plant on their property; communities receive up to 37,000 euros per year per wind power plant. Citizens’ consent is also bought in any citizen surveys – for example with the promise of cheaper electricity prices for 20 years. “The natural landscapes will then be lost not for 20 years, but forever,” says Krautgartner.
The project operators can easily afford such “grants”. Manuel Krautgartner: “Verbund or other operators are not benefactors or are doing this out of charity; these companies are sitting on a huge mountain of money from record profits. The rural communities affected must be clear about what they are getting themselves into. Decisions that often forget about the future are mainly determined by money without thinking about future generations.
“Even the Oö. Environmental lawyer Martin Donat says: “We have nothing to gain from pushing through an energy transition now, but postponing the protection of nature, species and people until later.”
Lohnsburg as a pioneer against the overexploitation of nature
But they do exist, the defensive communities: to pave Upper Austria with forests of wind turbines and thus have a lasting negative impact on flora and fauna – these plans were rejected last year in Lohnsburg with its intact natural landscape. In a secret vote, 11 of 18 local councilors voted against the mega project, which envisaged six wind turbines up to 140 meters high in the middle of the natural landscape – including huge aisles for access. Manuel Krautgartner: “The Lohnsburg local council is a courageous example of not following the call of money, and the Mühlviertel communities now affected should also follow this example.”
Attempts to transform the Mühlviertel or other natural landscapes into a wind turbine forest completely ignore the role of Upper Austria as a forest and habitat, as a cultural landscape and, above all, as a tourist destination. Manuel Krautgartner: “Nobody comes to Upper Austria to look at wind turbines.”
A local council resolution in Upper Austria must also be in accordance with Section 1 Paragraph 2 of the Upper Austria. Orientate the spatial planning law. Accordingly, “the entire area and its sub-areas must be designed with foresight and plan”, while the “estimable economic, social and cultural needs” as well as “the protection of the natural environment as the basis of human existence” must be taken into account. Manuel Krautgartner: “This actually contradicts every local council decision that results in wind turbines instead of preserving the natural landscape.”
Numbers game: 36 wind turbines in Linz, 244 in the Urfahr district
It is also clear: wind turbines will never be able to satisfy Upper Austria’s enormous hunger for energy. An example: Just to cover voestalpine’s energy needs – keyword “Green Steel” – with wind power, 4,500 wind turbines would be needed; there are currently just 31 in Upper Austria. Imagine if there were an additional 4,500 wind turbines in Upper Austria – if you add the energy needs of other companies and private households, the number would be even higher. Converted to the respective area, 36 (!) such wind turbines would have to be built in the Linz city area, and in the entire Urfahr district this would result in 244 wind power plants being built – an absurd vision. LAbg. Joachim Aigner, MFG-Austria federal party chairman, critically said: “Based on these number games, you can see how absurd the idea is that wind power plants could play a significant role in the energy supply.” The price for this would also be enormous, with the irreparable destruction of valuable natural landscapes higher.
Toothless RRPs
Perhaps environmental impact assessments are an effective means of protecting the environment and nature from destructive interventions? No, unfortunately these are worth less than the paper they are printed on: out of 200 EIA procedures since 2014, only one (!) project was not approved. Joachim Aigner: “It turns out that if projects are politically desired – and these are projects that require an EIA almost always – the results of environmental impact assessments always go in the “right” direction.”
Upper Austria is not a wind country
The narrative that renewable energies are the only true thing is simply not true – and it doesn’t work that way: “The proponents have obviously never heard of the base load,” says Joachim Aigner. This base load cannot be guaranteed with wind power. “A fundamentally sensible energy mix of gas, hydroelectric power plants and other renewable energies is therefore needed, but the expansion of these must not come at the expense of people.
“The issue of security of supply is also completely ignored. Possible large-scale so-called “blackouts” can be the trigger for unrest and even civil war.
Wind power plants in the planned form and especially in the intended natural areas are ultimately hostile to the environment and nature. The so-called “climate-neutral” energy production and other measures are sometimes even poisonous for people and animals. The entire focus on the CO2 issue is actually the big mistake: “We finally have to talk about environmental and nature conservation instead of constantly focusing on the CO2 discussion and destroying our nature with this argument,” says Joachim Aigner. MFG stands for environmental protection AND renewable energies. You can’t constantly make decisions without any reason and AGAINST the vast majority of the population.
Manuel Krautgartner’s conclusion: “We support citizens, initiatives and organizations who want to stand up against the monstrous wind power projects in their communities and make their concerns heard in the state parliament. It’s about nothing less than the future of our natural landscapes.”
Questions & Contact:
MFG State Parliament Club Upper Austria
(+43 732) 7720 – 17402
press-you@mfg-oe.at
www.klubmfg-ooe.at