Bietikow says no to wind power: Citizens feel ignored!

Bietikow says no to wind power: Citizens feel ignored!

Last night in Bietikow, there was boiling: The municipal council of Uckerfelde gathered to think about the future of the energy infrastructure. There were two exciting topics on the agenda: the laying of a 30kv cable route and the application for a new wind turbine. The Kabeltrasse, submitted by ENERTRAGE Netz GmbH, was quickly approved and was unanimously accepted, but not without requirements regarding the restoration of the surfaces and the coordination with the owners concerned. Mayor Peter Gerhardt emphasized the importance of clear rules of the game in order to avoid the problems with heavy vehicles on the dirt roads. What a start!

on the second topic, the building application for a Vestas V172 wind turbine, with an impressive total height of 261 meters and an output of 7.2 megawatts, however, moved. This application caused heated debates among those present, and it was clear: there are different opinions here. Around 20 citizens, including critics from the neighboring communities, expressed concerns about nature conservation, the habitat for birds and the effects on the groundwater level. Citizen Marco Lommer got the point when he criticized the late information about the planned wind turbine, which was to be created almost directly in his garden. A serious reproach!

The responsibility of the municipality

Mayor Gerhardt pointed out that a no from the municipal council had little influence, because the State Office for the Environment (LFU) could compensate for agreement. Please do it, it will be exciting! The municipal representatives finally voted against the application, but this can be seen as an appeal, because the decision is ultimately somewhere else. This discussion shows how tense the topic of wind power in the Uckermark remains. The concerns of the citizens are to be taken seriously and the feeling of being ignored could lead to some creative forms of protest.

But how does such intensive clashes come about in the population? The energy transition in Germany is a social project, and civil wind farms offer people on site the opportunity to actively participate in energy production, such as [naturfinanz.de] (https://www.naturfinanz.de/blog/2024/03/windpark-betiligungen-alsanlage-ein- Regionales-modell-fuerinnen-und-buer-in-Deutschland/). On the one hand, these citizens' participations can bring an environmentally friendly return, in the form of constant income, and on the other hand strengthen the local economy. After all, they create jobs and promote regional development. A great model to think about!

acceptance by co -determination

According to the findings of the “Rewa” project, the active support of society is crucial for a successful energy transition. Here the municipalities have a central role in the municipalities when it comes to promoting acceptance towards projects for renewable energies. Clear and targeted communication is a must to create transparency that many citizens are demanding. With this, participation models that enable the people on site to actively participate in the decisions and promote the procedural and distribution equality, as well as on [boell.de] (https://www.boell.de/de/2023/10-ansaetze-fuer- Mehr-keptanz-der-buergerGende-und- and is described in detail.