Remchingen: Citizens can decide on wind farm in the Ranntal!

Remchingen: Citizens can decide on wind farm in the Ranntal!

in Remchingen, a small community in Germany, could soon be a decision about a wind farm in the Ranntal. While the citizens are likely to have a say in one of the two planned projects, the chances for another wind farm, which is to be developed by the Juwi company in the Buchwald, are rather bad. The responsible bodies have made it clear that the community has no influence here because it is a state forest.

A central topic in the latest council meeting was the wind power, which is increasingly being discussed in Remchingen. According to the mayor Julia Wieland (non-party), citizens only have to prepare for further coordination with regard to the EnBW project. This includes the installation of two wind turbines in Kämpfelbach and possibly up to three other turbines in the adjacent Bärengrund of the Nöttinger Ranntal. In contrast to the Juwi project, the municipality has a say in this case, since the country in this area is part of its sovereignty.

insight into the planning of EnBW

Project development by EnBW has been planning since March 2023 and has been presented to the public. Christoph Ewen from the Forum Energiedialog, a neutral organization, was invited to ensure objective support for the process. Ewen emphasized that there are two options for the Ranntal: If EnBW only build a stored wind turbine, a simple information event could meet. When installing several wind turbines, however, the topics of noise pollution, shadow throwing and effects on leisure use should not be neglected.

Another discussion point was the prejudice against wind turbines in connection with ecological questions. Kurt Ebel (CDU) made it clear: "These technologies are important, but they have to be at the right locations." Environmental protection and the protection of groundwater are central issues for the residents and could have a significant impact on public opinion on the project.

municipal council and citizens in dialogue

The attitude of the municipal council for the wind power projects is striking: While the Juwi project was clearly defined for the community without a say, the EnBW planning has a strong wish for citizen participation. Martin Gegenheimer (CDU) emphasized the need for a citizens' decision: "Here, the municipal council and citizens are the decision -makers." The municipal councils could not commit themselves to whether they have a clear tendency towards wind power in the Ranntal, but majority they voted for a citizen participation - both through the Forum Energied dialogue and a citizens' decision. However, the idea of a simple citizen survey was not approved.

These decisions come at a time when wind power debates are becoming more important in Germany. The energy market is in transition, and projects such as those in Remchingen could change the image of energy supply in the region.

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