Týček residents in Czechia's Rokycany region approve wind turbine construction in referendum

Yesterday, residents of Týček in the Rokycany region supported the possible construction of a wind turbine within the municipality's boundaries in a referendum. There were 75 votes in favour and 40 against, with just under 61 per cent of residents voting. Two companies want to build one turbine in the municipality: PV Consulting Praha or Warsaw-based energy group EnercoNet. Mayor Zdeněk Hruška (independent) told the Czech News Agency (ČTK).

Týček, which has 250 residents, asked voters whether they agreed that the municipal council should allow a wind turbine to be sited within the municipality. “A total of 117 of the 193 eligible voters took part in the referendum, a turnout of 60.6 per cent. Seventy-five people voted yes, 40 voted no, one ballot was invalid and one person abstained,” the mayor said. By law, a referendum is valid if at least 35 per cent of eligible voters take part. Its result is binding on the municipal council if more than half of those taking part voted in favour and at least 25 per cent of all eligible voters did so.

According to the mayor, most residents had already voted “yes” in a municipal survey completed by 80 per cent of residents. The municipal council also supports the project. Based on preliminary talks, the companies have so far offered the municipality annual payments of around CZK 1.3 million (EnercoNet) and approximately CZK 1.75 million (PV Consulting) for 25 years, which would account for 30 per cent or as much as 35 per cent of its budget. They would also commit to supplying residents with cheaper electricity. Both investors are also in talks with other nearby municipalities and want to build several turbines in the area.

“I’ll now put the results on the official notice board, where they must remain for 15 days by law. At the next council meeting, on 31 March, we will vote to allow the construction of a wind turbine within Týček’s cadastral area,” Hruška said.

The municipality will then contact both potential investors and discuss the next steps with them. “We’ll see whether they want to build one turbine (in Týček) or not. Based on preliminary talks, they will want at least three,” he said. Both investors also want to build turbines in nearby Plískov and Lhota pod Radčem. Last November, nearby Sirá rejected turbine construction in a referendum by a margin of three votes.

Plískov, which has 122 residents, also wants to hold a referendum, but will wait until the middle of the year, when holidaymakers start arriving, Mayor Radek Škrdlant (STAN, Citizens for Plískov) said. “If they see that it has passed here, they will probably hold one soon, and then things will move forward. We now have two years (the period for which the referendum result is binding) to process everything without anyone pressuring us by saying we can’t do it here,” Hruška said.

According to Škrdlant, an offer of up to two million crowns a year for as long as the turbine operates would be a major help to a municipality with a budget of 3.5 million crowns. Residents have so far been more in favour than against, but the referendum could turn out differently, he said.

Lhota pod Radčem, which has 320 residents, is not currently in favour of wind turbines. “We have Radeč Nature Park here. We’ll be happy just looking at Plískov,” said Mayor Miroslava Dyková (independent). The municipality lies near the Radeč ridge, where there are transmitters for television, radio and mobile operators.

Investors are also interested in Zbiroh, which has 2,500 residents. The town has put any potential referendum or public hearing on hold.

Týček would then join forces with municipalities that also agree to wind turbines and decide which investor to negotiate with together. “If there are more of us, we can negotiate better terms, including on shared energy and servicing,” Hruška added.