With a narrow majority, the citizens of Ebersberg voted in favor of building five wind turbines in the Ebersberg Forest.
But the close result shows that the region is divided - and that is a mortgage for politics.
Ebersberg
- When the result was clear yesterday evening, the wind power proponents cheered. "People clearly say yes to more climate protection and yes to the energy turnaround - so loudly that even the state government has to hear it," said Thomas von Sarnowski. The state chairman of the Bavarian Greens comes from Ebersberg and in recent months had campaigned for approval for the construction of five wind turbines in the Ebersberg Forest.
But he and the wind power proponents had to tremble for a long time. Because with a voting result of 52.74 to 47.26 percent, the approval for the wind power project in the Ebersberger Forst was extremely tight. The close race had emerged. Because the five wind turbines that the Munich-based green electricity company "Green City Energy" would like to build had been heatedly discussed in advance. Proponents like von Sarnowski see the project as a contribution to the energy transition and argue that the systems could supply a fifth of households in the district with clean energy. The opponents worry about the forest's ecosystem and fear the loss of habitats and places of refuge for the animals and a disfigurement of the landscape. In the Ebersberg district assembly, a clear majority supported the plans, only the Bavarian party and AfD were against.But because the intervention in the Ebersberger Forest, the green heart and the whole pride of the district is so unique, it was too risky for the politicians to make the decision without involving the citizens. They have now spoken - albeit with an extremely close result.
A decision with symbolic power for all of Bavaria?
The proponents of the Ebersberg wind turbines hope that the decision will have a symbolic effect for wind power throughout Bavaria.
According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, there are currently 1133 wind turbines in the Free State, 101 of them on the areas of the Bavarian State Forests.
Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) announced two years ago that 100 more wind turbines are to be built in the state forest.
According to the State Forests, there are currently only plans or expressions of interest for around a dozen new plants - including the five wind turbines in the Ebersberger Forest.
In two reports for the state government it was found that under the currently applicable legal framework there is hardly any further potential for new plants in the state forest, as revealed by an SPD inquiry.
The reason for this is also the 10H distance rule, which has almost brought the expansion of wind power in Bavaria to a standstill in recent years.
Environment Minister Thorsten Glauber (FW) recently rekindled the debate when he spoke out in favor of overturning the rule in the course of the revision of the Bavarian Climate Protection Act.
But the CSU insists on the coalition agreement and says: 10H will not be shaken.
Environment Minister Glauber praised the public participation
The wind turbines in the Ebersberger Forst are far enough away from the residential development that they do not fall under the 10H rule.
Nevertheless, with the successful referendum behind him, von Sarnowski demanded that the distance rule be collected and said: "Anyone who is not ready to take this step in 2021 has not understood the climate crisis."
Environment Minister Glauber said he was pleased about the citizens' green light.
"The Ebersberger way of citizen participation is exactly right." For the local politicians in the Ebersberg district, however, the tight result remains a mortgage.
You have now received the confirmation you had hoped for for the wind power project - but also proof that a very significant part of the population does not want the wind turbines.
District Administrator Robert Niedergesäß (CSU) emphasized that the worries of the many people who voted no should be kept in mind when taking the next steps.
The opponents of the project announced that they would now take legal action against the project.
Kerstin Mertens, chairwoman of the Ebersberger Forst Protection Association, said: "We have the right to sue and will use it."