“Wind power is ugly and it spoils the landscape”, we often hear. Saint-Die-des-Vosges (Vosges), Comburg (Ille-et-Vilaine), Saint-Igny-de-Vers and Saint-Bonnet-des-Bruyeres (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)… We can no longer count the number of municipalities in dispute with associations and collectives of inhabitants because of projects to install wind turbines on their land. Dissensions that can sometimes even go as far as referral to the Council of State. In question: a desire, on the part of its opponents, to preserve land still virgin from any artificialization – increasingly rare in France – of machinery deemed unsightly and noisy.
Tackling the energy and climate crisis
However, wind power is one of the least greenhouse gas emitting energies. With a carbon footprint of 14 g CO2 equivalent, it has the advantage of being “climate friendly”, just like photovoltaics and the more controversial nuclear. On March 10, a new law relating to the acceleration of the production of renewable energies was also promulgated in France. Its goal ? Strengthen the country’s capacity to deal with the energy and climate crisis by developing, in particular, wind power. Because France is late. In 2020, it was the only country not to have reached the target set by the European Union of 23% share of renewables in its energy mix. A figure which, for the time being, is only 20%.
Like all energies used today to produce electricity, wind power has its advantages and disadvantages. His detractors and his supporters too. 20 minutes highlights in video.