The national energy company Eesti Energia will challenge Laane-Nigula rural municipality council’s decision to stop preparation work for the Risti wind farm.
Thirteen members of the council voted for and five against terminating the special plan for the Risti wind farm on January 21. The council held an open vote. Several opponents of the wind farm project could not be present for the session as they had previously attended an event where a person diagnosed with COVID-19 was present.
CEO of Eesti Energia subsidiary Enefit Green Aavo Karmas said after the vote that he would challenge the decision within 30 days or turn straight to administrative court.
“We have not heard a single argument to be taken seriously in terms of why the plan should be terminated,” Karmas said.
“We are happy that the hurried special plan was terminated,” said Lea Lai, head of the Piirsalu village society.
The Laane-Nigula rural municipality government stands ready to go to court, as the council’s decision has been prepared with help from lawyers Siim Vahtrus and Piret Kergandberg from law firm Walless.
Eesti Energia has bought 240 hectares of land between Risti-Piirsalu and Seljakula where it wants to construct a wind farm of 30 turbines. The investment volume is estimated at around EUR 150 million. The Laane-Nigula rural municipality council initiated the special plan in September of 2019. The project’s strategic environmental impact assessment is currently underway.
The termination of the plan was proposed by Rural Municipality Mayor Mikk Lohmus and council chairman Neeme Suur (Social Democratic Party). Sources suggested they drew inspiration from Lea Lai and former Risti Rural Municipality Mayor Rein Kruusmaa’s petition. The signatures totaled roughly 1,100. The Laane-Nigula government reckons that around 660 were given by local residents and the rest by people from elsewhere. Because the special plan’s survey area covers some 2,500 hectares, opponents of the project got signatures by claiming that all wooden areas would be clearcut. Eesti Energia said that only about 80 hectares of forest would be cleared. (ERR/Business World Magazine)