The Senate dominated by the right voted on the night of Thursday to Friday the principle of a veto for mayors on the installation of wind turbines in their municipalities, against the advice of the Minister of Ecological Transition Barbara Pompili.

During the first reading examination of the climate and resilience bill, the senators adopted an LR amendment providing for a deliberation by the municipal council on implementation projects, with also the possibility of submitting it to a local referendum.

"Who better than the city council can make a decision of this nature?"

“, Pleaded Édouard Courtial, elected LR of the Oise.

Also LR, rapporteur Marta de Cidrac supported him, stressing that the amendment "responds to a strong demand from local elected officials, destitute in the face of the establishment of wind farms".

NIMBY

But the minister warned: "Only 20% of French territory can receive wind turbines" and "we are trying to expand this perimeter, but the consecration of a veto could create a phenomenon of 'Not in my backyard' ("Not in my garden", Editor's note): I want electricity but not the wind turbines which produce it ", she argued in the face of similar proposals also coming from Communist senators.

“The veto does not encourage consultation either.

It can then be claimed for the installation of solar panels or anaerobic digestion plants, ”she fears.

The addition of senators, however, risks disappearing in the parliamentary shuttle, the deputies having the last word.

A veto would put "the pressure on the mayors" who could be "taken hostage by certain associations, by certain groups", she added Friday on Public Senate, evoking "a poisoned gift" to the mayors.

"An absolutely murderous amendment"

"We need wind power, we must have that in mind to try to get out of the false debates", according to the minister. And to expose: "The method that I propose is to start again things from zero, to make a cartography which was requested by many elected officials, cartography of the zones where one can make wind", and then "to put all the people around the table to see where we can put them and where we cannot put them ”.

This Friday, the Senate voted a similar measure for offshore wind.

It provides for "the prior agreement of local authorities" to offshore wind projects, "in particular to municipalities from which these installations are visible".

This is "locally to make it possible to obtain the acceptability of the populations", affirmed the president of the Committee of Economic Affairs Sophie Primas (LR), stressing that the national objective of development of the wind power at sea does not is not questioned.

Ecologist Joël Labbé, for his part, denounced "an absolutely murderous amendment for offshore wind power".

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