Krouna residents in Czechia back wind turbine, investor offers cheaper electricity

Residents of Krouna in the Chrudim region support the construction of a wind turbine in their municipality. They decided in a referendum today. The investor plans to build it in the Františky area and is offering the municipality a contribution to its budget and residents cheaper electricity. Mayor Petr Schmied (Independents) told the Czech News Agency (ČTK).

Krouna and its four local districts have 1,112 eligible voters, of whom 590 took part in the vote. A total of 415 voted in favour of the wind turbine, while 164 voted against it. Ten ballots were invalid and one person did not mark either option. In the referendum, residents approved allowing municipal authorities to let the company PV Consulting build on municipal land. The plot is in the Františky cadastral area, in a forest clearing.

“I left it up to the voters. Whatever they decided, that’s what we’ll do. I have nothing against wind turbines. If everyone rejected one, it wouldn’t be built anywhere. I think this is the way forward, especially with the preparation and approval of community energy projects. The plot is beyond a hill, and if the turbine were built, it would be visible in the landscape,” the mayor said.

The planned turbine is to have a capacity of up to 6.5 megawatts. In return, the company is offering Krouna an annual contribution of up to CZK 1.95 million to the municipal coffers. It has also promised to supply residents with cheaper electricity, saving them an average of 11.600 per year compared with their current bills. The offer is for 20 years.

“We see this as a starting point; we may try to negotiate further. We need to find out more. The company is waiting to see the referendum result, and the municipal council should lease it the plot. The company can then begin the process of obtaining a construction permit, which will certainly take several years,” the mayor said.