Petition opposition and developer exit halt Schlaiten wind plans

A wind power project in Schlaiten, a municipality in the Lienz district of East Tyrol, will not go ahead for now after a petition opposing it and the developer’s withdrawal, ORF Tirol reported. Mayor Ludwig Pedarnig said 57 per cent of eligible voters had signed the petition.

The initiative, submitted on Monday, was signed by 220 residents, according to its organisers. Schlaiten had 381 eligible voters as of October 1. On the same day, developer ImWind informed the municipality in writing that it would not pursue the plans, citing a review of infrastructure requirements related to the wider road network.

About six months earlier, ImWind had expressed interest in a project, and Pedarnig had been open to the idea, citing potential economic benefits for the municipality. Planners presented to the municipal council in late May, when reactions were described as broadly positive. A public information meeting followed on July 1.

Pedarnig said the majority opposing the project had to be respected, but criticised what he called the increasingly heated debate over wind power. He said the issue had been taken up by Germany’s AfD and Austria’s FPÖ, making it difficult to discuss wind energy objectively. He also questioned whether the result would restore harmony in the village, and said he hoped claims that could not be substantiated scientifically or statistically had not featured in the petition campaign.

The mayor said the project could have generated at least 430,000 euros a year for the municipality through lease income and infrastructure contributions. He estimated that at least two-thirds of the money could have gone towards purchases and investments benefiting residents. A community energy scheme could also have offered a stable electricity tariff for 20 years and a subsidy of about 300 euros per household towards electricity costs.

Pedarnig said he hoped the next municipal council would find ways to address the municipality’s financial difficulties without the projected income. He also warned against a return to oil, gas and nuclear power, and thanked the project’s supporters, saying they had been “too few and too quiet”.