“Waldviertel Wind Initiative” launched
Wind energy placed on a broad basis, as an important source of regional impulses.
The Waldviertel Wind Initiative was officially launched on June 14, 2011 during a press conference held at W.E.B headquarters. The aim of this initiative is to cover the electricity requirements of the Waldviertel area by 2030 through the use of wind energy and to also create important economic impulses within the region.
The founders of this bipartisan initiative are the Waldviertel Economic Forum and WEB Windenergie AG. In addition, some forty personalities from the fields of politics and economics, as well as institutional organizations in the Waldviertel, have all signed a declaration of support for the Waldviertel Wind Initiative, in order to put the topic of wind energy on a broad base and jointly pursue its progress.
Günter Stummvoll M.P. (Austrian People’s Party) and Ewald Sacher M.P. (Austrian Social Democratic Party), who both belong to the Waldviertel EU platform, are among the proponents of the Initiative.
According to Andreas Dangl, the W.E.B CEO: “Energy constitutes a key issue with regard to the sustainable development of any region. As a result of the higher towers provided by new and more efficient wind turbine technology, these can now be erected in forest areas. This could possibly offer the Waldviertel a certain degree of energy generation potential and through cautious wind power expansion, the region will be able to roughly cover its electricity requirements. We have completed random wind measurements and the results are most promising. They permit conclusions concerning the economically viable wind power potential that is available and should be exploited in the medium-term.”
Information, dialog and a citizen-oriented approach
The main focus of the activities of the Waldviertel Wind Initiative in the coming months will be on the dissemination of information and dialog with the public. Discussions regarding individual locations will not be the main priority, but instead the raising of general awareness levels and clarification. The social acceptance of wind parks is vital in order to precipitate the much-cited energy revolution and to use the opportunities available to the region. A regional compensation model developed by W.E.B foresees that apart from landowners and local authorities, the regions should also participate in economic success through a location tax. This share of earnings, which would be linked to revenues, could represent an additional contribution to the economic strengthening of the region. Rudolf Karner, the W.E.B project manager: “Here, too, we wish to adopt innovative approaches, which to date have not been employed in this form in the wind energy field in Austria.”
A preview of the next steps
- Presentation of the Waldviertel Wind Initiative at the BIOEM in Groß Schönau (June 23 – 26, 2011)
- Presentation of a fundamental study regarding the use of wind energy in the Waldviertel: autumn 2011
- District information events regarding the use of wind energy in the Waldviertel: winter 2011
- Presentation of concrete project locations: from spring 2012
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