Le Figaro Nantes
A bad wind is blowing on the Vendée coast.
And for good reason.
For months, debates have been taking place in different corners of France to talk about offshore wind power. At the end of February, a meeting was organized in Les Sables-d'Olonne on this thorny subject.
“The great debate on “maritime planning” has the merit of existing... but the problem is that it is truncated,”
the mayor of the seaside town of Vendée, Yannick Moreau, reacted to the exit.
And to justify himself:
“If the government had wanted to be transparent, it would have included in the debate the maps of future wind farm projects off the Atlantic coast... It has them but does not show them.
We debate on the principles but not on the locations,”
he then accused.
Ten days later, the famous map of
“areas suitable for the development of offshore wind power over ten years and 2050”
was revealed.
Not very delicately, according to the numerous reactions of elected officials who discovered them during a video meeting at the invitation of the maritime prefect.
“It was finally presented today
(Wednesday, Editor's note)
at 1 p.m. in a meeting called 36 hours before it was held... We denounce this method!”
, castigated Bruno Retailleau, senator of Vendée, Alain Leboeuf, president of the department, and François Blanchet, mayor of Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie.
“Why is this map only being presented now when work on this subject has been carried out in recent months underwater?”
, they asked in a joint press release.
Especially since the famous document confirms the
“drama”
that they anticipated.
Also read: Offshore wind turbines: “Coastal landscapes have become an adjustment variable”
A new park in Vendée
Among the hypotheses considered by the State, in addition to a new park by 2050 several tens of kilometers from their home, a project much closer geographically and in time made them raise eyebrows.
“Among other novelties coming out of the hat, positioning a new “suitable area”, synonymous with a future wind farm installed by 2035, 15 kilometers from Sables-d’Olonne and Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie , and 24 kilometers from
Talmont-Saint-Hilaire
is completely unacceptable for us
,” deeply regretted Yannick Moreau, also president of the Association Vendéenne des Élus du Littoral (AVEL).
Political figures are particularly concerned about the consequences for fishermen.
“If we were to start a discussion around a new park in Vendée, the following conditions would have to be met: a fair distribution of effort across other territories, a floating and invisible park without any impact on fishing.
Only in this way would our position and that of the populations be respected
,” added Bruno Retailleau, Alain Leboeuf and François Blanchet.
Also read “Offshore wind: lots of wind…”
Extension of existing parks
In the Pays de la Loire, two parks, which could undergo an extension, are already there: one, put into service in 2022, is located near Saint-Nazaire.
The other, under construction, overlooks the islands of Yeu and Noirmoutier.
The President of the Region, Christelle Morançais, who nevertheless considers
“the development of offshore wind power as a necessity in terms of energy”
, was herself moved by the government's way of doing things.
“The State is unnecessarily exacerbating local opposition and inflaming a public debate that is already very poorly underway
,” she wrote in a press release.
“We cannot bear the contempt with which the State treats us in this strategic issue
,” she said, speaking of
“provocation”
.
“We should have been consulted beforehand on the zoning, on the technologies used and on the installation schedule
. ”
“Once again, local elected officials are the forgotten ones in national decisions
,” commented on coastal communities which have experienced the establishment of the Saint-Nazaire park.