Referendum on wind farms in Bystrá nad Jizerou, Czechia, to test local support and concerns

Residents of Bystrá nad Jizerou in the Semily district will decide in a referendum on plans by NOHO Energy to build three wind turbines. The council approved holding the referendum on Thursday, following a proposal by a petition committee, Mayor Lukáš Nesvadba (NEZ) told the Czech News Agency (ČTK) today. The referendum will take place alongside municipal elections on October 9 and 10.

Residents will answer the question: "Do you agree that, within its independent powers, the municipality of Bystrá nad Jizerou should not support the siting, construction or operation of wind turbines within its cadastral area, and that the municipal council should not decide to prepare or adopt an amendment to the zoning plan that would allow such siting, construction or operation?"

According to the proposal published by the company in the EIA information system, NOHO Energy plans to build up to three wind turbines near Bystrá, with the project’s total maximum installed capacity reaching up to 22 megawatts (MW). The turbines would have a maximum hub height of 166 meters, rotor diameters of up to 175 meters and blades up to 88 meters long. The wind farm could supply roughly 50 GWh of electricity to the grid annually, enough to cover the consumption of up to 20,000 households.

Bystrá signed an agreement on a joint project with the investor in November 2023. The municipality held a poll on the project at the time, with 55 people taking part; 44 were in favor. For a small municipality of 120 residents with a budget of three million CZK, the wind farm could be a welcome source of income. "We have been promised 800,000 CZK a year for each turbine, and residents will also receive a bonus in the price of electricity," the mayor said. The municipality is also expected to receive 1.2 million CZK for each turbine when it is approved for operation.

"We have been dealing openly and fairly with the municipality and local residents from the start. We have a planning agreement with Bystrá that guarantees residents cheaper electricity and gives the municipality funds for necessary investments. We are ready to continue explaining all the details, and I believe residents will support the project in the referendum just as they did in the previous poll. We are completing a detailed analysis of the potential impacts of the wind turbines near Bystrá nad Jizerou on valuable natural areas in the vicinity. We will then add this analysis to the EIA application," said NOHO Energy project manager Matěj Macháček.

Opponents of the project are concerned about noise and environmental impacts, the disruption of the Podkrkonoší landscape and disturbance to wildlife. The proposal has also become the main topic in the run-up to the municipal elections. While Bystrá had only one candidate list in previous years, voters now have two to choose from: the Bystrá sobě list is led by the current mayor, while project opponents have joined forces under the Společně pro Bystrou banner.