Energy Cantonal government wants to build wind turbines primarily in Zurich's Weinland region
The Zurich cantonal government considers 20 areas in the canton of Zurich to be very suitable for the construction of wind turbines. Most of these are located in the north of the canton. They are to be entered in the structure plan as wind energy suitability areas.
02.07.2024, 10:21
02.07.2024, 12:14
SDA
A total of 52 potential sites were examined, as Building Director Martin Neukom (Greens) told the media on Tuesday. 20 are classified as very suitable. A further 15 areas are considered to be well suited, but will not be registered for the time being. The canton has ruled out the remaining sites.
Most of the suitable areas are in the north of the canton, eleven are in the Weinland and around Winterthur. Four sites are in the Knonauer Amt and three in the Oberland. In addition, there is Wädenswil on the left bank of Lake Zurich and Wasterkingen and Hüntwangen in the lowlands. Neukom emphasized that objective criteria were the deciding factor, "this is not a political selection".
Exclusion due to aviation
Neukom explained that some areas were eliminated due to concerns from the federal government regarding aviation. Some sites had also been eliminated following a protection-benefit analysis.
Many areas were excluded, particularly in the east, such as the Bachtel. The Pfannenstiel is still considered suitable, but further changes to the structure plan would be required.
Possibilities for the expansion of hydropower were also examined. The government council only sees potential here at the Rhine Falls. A structure plan entry for a new hydropower plant is to be created for this purpose.
Faster procedure
In order to speed up the planning of wind power plants, the cantonal government is proposing a new consultation procedure. As with road construction, some steps would be omitted and decisions by the municipalities could be partially overridden. However, the municipalities could still appeal to the Federal Supreme Court against the structure plan entry.
However, opponents would then only be able to appeal against the cantonal planning approval to the administrative court and federal court. The previous step to the building appeals court would no longer be necessary, and the building permit could no longer be contested.
Neukom's aim is to conclude proceedings after a good six years, as is the case in Germany. As a negative example, he cited procedures for wind farms in Switzerland that took 16 and 23 years.
Procedure planned from 2027
The public consultation of the structure plan will continue until October 2024. After evaluation, the draft will go to the cantonal council. The building directorate expects planning for the projects to start in 2027. The amendment to the law on the procedures also still has to go through the Cantonal Council. A referendum could be held against the amendment to the law.
There is already political opposition, with the SVP and FDP criticizing on Tuesday that the municipalities are not involved enough. The SVP demanded that wind turbines should only be built with the approval of the municipality. The SP and the Greens, on the other hand, welcomed the thrust of the plans.
Neukom plans to consult the affected population. Information events in Weinland, Oberland and Knonauer Amt are scheduled for the summer.
