Wind Energy: St. Gallen Abolishes Referendums
Wind farms in the canton of St. Gallen: Despite 3,000 objections — No more municipal referendums!
Following the canton of Lucerne, the St. Gallen cantonal government has also stripped all municipalities of their say in wind farms on cantonal territory.
This means there will be no more public referendums for 17 planned wind farms. Democracy at the municipal level has been undermined. The referendum promise made by Federal Councillor Albert Rösti regarding the Electricity Act is being broken by the St. Gallen cantonal government. Wind farms may now be built on the Flumserberge, in the St. Gallen Rhine Valley, at Pizol, in the Toggenburg region, and around the city of St. Gallen. More than 3,000 objections were submitted by municipalities and individuals against the St. Gallen government’s plans — all of which are being rejected.
In its amendment of the cantonal structure plan for wind farms, the St. Gallen cantonal government has established cantonal planning and permitting authority. Wind farms may now be built against the will of local residents. There will be no more public referendums.
The canton of St. Gallen is the second German-speaking Swiss canton, after the canton of Lucerne, to have abolished municipal co-determination rights regarding wind farms in recent months. In the canton of Lucerne, a vote on the cantonal building law will be held on 24 November 2024. In the canton of St. Gallen, by contrast, no referendum against the government’s drastic decision is possible.
The decision by the St. Gallen government therefore sets a precedent for our country. For the first time, an executive body has abolished democratic participation rights for energy installations in general, without the electorate being able to call a referendum against it.
Although more than 3,000 people opposed the massive expansion of wind energy and the disempowerment of municipalities, six municipalities rejected planned wind farms (Bad Ragaz, Balgach, Berneck, Oberriet, Quarten and Schänis)., five others expressed criticism, including the St. Gallen City Council due to the impact on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Abbey District of St. Gallen. Even from the neighboring canton of Graubünden, objections came from the Landquart region and the municipalities of Fläsch and Zizers. However, the cantonal government rejected all objections.
The fears of opponents of the Electricity Act have thus come true. The election promise made by Federal Councillor Albert Rösti — that affected municipalities would continue to be allowed to vote — is being broken by the St. Gallen cantonal government.
Video: «Albert Rösti is no Federal Councillor!»
For the canton of St. Gallen, this now means the designation of 17 areas with 92 wind turbines in the cantonal structure plan. This includes the Rheinau wind farm between Bad Ragaz and Sargans. It had been removed from the then-draft structure plan in 2019 due to broad opposition from, among others, BirdLife, the Heritage Society, Pro Natura, the SP, the VCS, the WWF, the Landscape Protection Foundation, and the municipalities of Bad Ragaz, Fläsch, and Maienfeld. It has now been reinstated.
Freie Landschaft Schweiz regrets the drastic decision of the canton of St. Gallen and is collecting signatures at high pressure for the Municipal Protection Initiative. This initiative aims to ensure that all affected municipalities in Switzerland are each allowed to vote in a binding manner on wind farms.
Participatory Action: Demand from your municipality, on account of the catastrophic policies of Federal Councillor Albert Rösti (SVP), a petition for exemption from federal and cantonal taxes in light of the recently approved shooting of wolves in Switzerland. You can download the template letter here: https://wildbeimwild.com/ein-appell-fuer-eine-veraenderung-in-der-schweiz/
