Stadtwerke München has to deal with a court ruling that declares two wind farms in Norway to be illegal - because they interfere with reindeer herding.
However, the municipal utilities do not fear any economic consequences.
Munich - is the Munich public utility threatened with a loss of millions?
The Supreme Court in Norway has declared the operating license for two wind farms to be invalid.
The municipal utilities are involved in one of the parks.
However, the energy company does not expect any economic consequences.
It was only on Monday that the Oslo court ruled that the permits for the construction and the associated expropriations as well as the operation of the Storheia and Roan plants in central Norway violated the cultural rights of the indigenous Sami ethnic group and violated the UN civil pact.
Court ruled: "Reindeer herding is a practice worth protecting"
The international agreement states that members of ethnic minorities should not be denied the right to “cultivate their own cultural life together with other members of their group”.
The Sami had sued the parks because the wind turbines frightened their reindeer herds and threatened ancient traditions.
According to the court, the traditional rearing of reindeer is a cultural practice worth protecting.
SWM spokesman Michael Silva: "Facts prior to SWM entry"
The consequences of the judgment remained open.
The reindeer herder lawyers demanded the demolition of the 151 wind turbines, some of which are on the pastures for the reindeer.
The operator of the wind farms told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that he was “surprised” about the verdict.
The plants were built on the basis of official permits.
The municipal utilities will now also examine the judgment.
Financial consequences are not to be feared, as spokesman Michael Silva explains when asked.
“In 2021, SWM participated in the Roan wind farm.
The judgment relates to a situation that precedes entry. ”It is therefore generally assumed that any economic consequences will be borne by the approving authority or the companies that built the wind farm.
CSU boss Manuel Pretzl made a request to the administration on Thursday on the subject, because he fears that “the municipal utilities and the city will face high costs”.
That affects the company in a difficult phase.
"Therefore, all the facts must be presented to the city council as quickly as possible."
It is not the first time that the municipal utilities have been in trouble because of wind turbines in Norway.
In 2019, the construction of new plants was even stopped.
