Residents of Řimovice in Czechia's Benešov region reject wind farm construction in referendum

Residents of Řimovice in the Benešov region today rejected the construction of wind turbines in the municipality in a referendum. A total of 84 of the 154 voters opposed the private investor’s plan, while the remaining 70 supported construction. The referendum results are valid and binding, according to information on the municipality’s notice board. The municipality has a cooperation agreement with the investor, and the next steps will be discussed, mayor Romana Kubíková (ind.) told ČTK.

Residents were asked whether they supported the construction of wind turbines within the cadastral area of the municipality of Řimovice. A total of 154 of the 181 eligible voters took part in the referendum. Seventy voted in favour and 84 against. By law, a referendum is valid if at least 35 percent of eligible voters participate. Its result is binding on the municipal council if more than half of those who took part voted in favour and at least 25 percent of all eligible voters did so.

A private investor wants to build three wind turbines in Řimovice, each with a capacity of 4.5 megawatts (MW). The municipality’s leadership supports the project because it would generate significant revenue for the local budget. The company has signed a cooperation agreement with the municipality, and the project is now being assessed by officials for its environmental impact (EIA).

According to Kubíková, many local residents dislike the plan because the structures would be enormous and visible for miles. She previously noted that Řimovice has been approved for a grant of CZK 77 million to build a water supply and sewerage system, covering more than 60 percent of the costs. The municipality, which has about 230 residents, must find the rest from its own resources or through a loan. The investor was to pay it three million a year, while the municipal budget is around five million. The municipality’s leadership had counted on the income from the wind turbines to help finance the project.

This was not the first referendum in Řimovice. In 2021, residents rejected the installation of a cellular transmitter. According to Kubíková, the private company eventually built it elsewhere.