A referendum will decide on wind farm construction in Horní Řasnice, Czechia

Local residents will decide in a referendum whether to build wind turbines in Horní Řasnice in the Liberec Region. More than 30 percent of eligible voters signed a petition calling for the vote. The local referendum will be held alongside the presidential election on 13 and 14 January. Jolana Bláhová, representing the local referendum’s preparatory committee, informed the CTK news agency.

W.E.B Větrná energie plans to build nine wind turbines with a total capacity of 37.6 to 55.8 megawatts (MW) above the valley where the municipalities of Horní Řasnice, Dolní Řasnice and Krásný Les are located. Some local residents are opposed, however. They are concerned that the turbines would be too close to homes, as well as about noise, the negative impact on the landscape and the size of the turbines. „A large proportion of people here believe the proposal could be improved—for example, by using a community-based model, building fewer turbines, taking greater account of the environment and people’s lives, and providing greater direct benefits to local residents. A significant number of residents do not want any more turbines at all. They say the existing ones in the area already cause many problems,“ Bláhová said.