Residents of Sonvilier definitively reject wind farm
The Bernese Jura municipality of Sonvilier has once again voted against the planned «Quatre Bornes» wind farm. Eligible voters rejected the proposal by 309 to 259 votes, as the municipality announced on 22 September 2024. Voter turnout stood at 70.2 percent.
In 2020, the project had been rejected by a margin of just four votes.
A citizens’ committee subsequently campaigned for a second vote through an initiative, arguing that some voters may have changed their minds following the energy crisis of 2022. The Federal Court gave the green light for a new ballot.
6 turbines on Bernese soil
The wind farm was planned along the border between the cantons of Bern and Neuchâtel. Six wind turbines were to be erected on the Bernese side, with three on the Neuchâtel side. In the canton of Neuchâtel, objections to the project are still pending.
In Sonvilier, supporters argued during the campaign that the wind farm would generate additional revenue of around 200’000 francs per year for the municipality. Opponents warned of a disfigurement of the landscape. The Chasseral area, with its characteristic pastures and hills, is valued by many visitors as a recreational destination.
«Concentration on the Neuchâtel section»
The idea for the wind farm originated with local farmers. They financed the first studies in 2006 and also brought the energy group Groupe E on board. The investment was estimated at around 90 million francs. In July 2024, the electricity supplier and BKW subsidiary «La Goule» joined as a regional investor.
The promoters announced on Sunday that the referendum result marked the end of the Bernese section of the project. Groupe E Greenwatt will now concentrate its efforts on realising the Neuchâtel section of the park. The approval process is in its final stages.
The electricity provider «La Goule» assured that it would respect the popular vote. However, it stated that its efforts to offer customers more environmentally and health-damaging electricity would not be called into question in any way.
In Switzerland, well over 1’000 wind turbines are planned, the majority of them in or at the edge of forests. Furthermore, it may no longer be possible in the future for affected municipalities to vote on wind farms. A massive deforestation of Swiss forests in the name of climate protection is looming.
For these reasons, two committees have launched the Forest Protection Initiative and the Municipal Protection Initiative . By July 2025, 100’000 valid signatures each must be collected. Already, 25’000 signatures each have been gathered, half of which have been certified. Many thanks to all collectors!
