Chronicle
The energy industry is increasing its pressure on politicians to build more than the planned 50 wind turbines and to shorten the approval process. Energy consultant Sara Schaar (SPÖ) speaks of a wind power lobby. However, their task is to enable a reasonable mix of forms of energy.
Five new wind turbines on the Steinberger Alpe in the Lavanttal are going into trial operation these days, and the company Ecowind already has two wind turbines up and running on the Soboth. It took nine years from application to completion, which is too long, said Daniel Schindlegger from Ecowind: “I have to appeal to politicians to create conditions that enable faster expansion of renewables.”
Plans obsolete pending approval
The wind turbines are built in Denmark and Germany, but the couplings come directly from Bad St. Leonhard. KELAG also wants to promote wind power and would like shorter approval procedures, said Bernd Neuner from KELAG. If you submit a project today and you receive the legally binding decision seven years later, this technology is already getting on in years and you have to replan in order to get approval for the current turbine type.
Farmer Franz Dorner is a pioneer of alternative energy in Carinthia. In cooperation with corporations, he is no longer on good terms with nature conservation: “Nature conservation has also hindered us here. The systems could be a bit higher, we would have up to 20 percent more power.”
Schaar: Still need pumped storage power plants
Carinthia’s energy officer Sara Schaar (SPÖ) sticks to her attitude of 50 wind turbines for Carinthia, not 140 to 200, as the economy wants. Schaar expressed concern about the influence of the economy: “We can already see that the wind power lobby has its foot in the door here.” According to Schaar, wind power is only an advantage for Carinthia in combination with water and solar energy. You also need a pumped storage power plant in Carinthia. Schaar also sees herself as an advocate for the rights of residents in approval procedures.