Czech village of Životice to hold referendum on wind turbine project on 11 April

The small village of Životice in the southern Plzeň region will hold a referendum on Saturday, 11 April. Residents will be able to express whether they agree with a wind turbine being built in their cadastral area. Czech company V.E. Dožice s.r.o., Mladý Smolivec, wants to build the turbine, which including its rotor would stand more than 160 metres tall. The company already operates one wind power facility in nearby Dožice, which was the first in the Plzeň region. The investor, which presented the plan to the public, will only begin preparing the project and documentation for an environmental impact assessment (EIA) after the plebiscite results are known. Životice mayor Jiří Kočí (SNK Životice) told the Czech News Agency today.

The municipality itself called the referendum so that all residents could express their views on the investment. Životice, which has 60 inhabitants, held two public meetings with the company in March. The tower is to stand one kilometre from the last house. According to the investor, it is the smallest turbine currently manufactured, with output of around 4.2 MW, a tower height of 130 metres and 62-metre rotor blades. "It will not be very visible from the surrounding villages," the mayor said. Other well-funded companies are considering dozens of turbines up to 250 metres tall in the southern Plzeň region, against which municipalities are protesting.

"V.E. Dožice is a local Czech company owned by two entrepreneurs, one of whom is known to people here because he is an electrician and works extensively in the area. They are considering establishing the company's registered office here," the mayor said.

He added that although he is not a major supporter of towers, as a private individual he is "about 70%" in favour of the construction because wind turbines and "nuclear" are the future. Leaflets describing the alleged consequences of operating such facilities have appeared in the village, claiming that the municipality had not informed residents about the plan, which the mayor said was untrue; they also propose a tender for an investor. Nothing has been decided, and the referendum will show everything, he said.

"The economic benefit for the municipality and for people would be good," Kočí said.

The investor promises the municipality 850.000 Kč annually for 25 years, which is half of its annual budget. Every house with permanent residents is to receive 3 MW of electricity free of charge each year. "Those who do not heat with electricity have consumption only slightly higher than that. They also propose that the municipality should receive up to 30 MW of energy free of charge for its operations," Kočí said. If the plan is backed by voters, the mayor would also like to negotiate benefits for 30 cottage owners and lower or abolished waste charges. We also discussed a sponsorship donation with the investor that would be distributed among residents, he said.

Životice has gained 20 residents over four years, who moved into vacant cottages. It would use donations from the investor to build a sewerage system costing around 15 million Kč. "We do not even have a water supply system here; everyone has their own well," Kočí added.