“Planning is more about guiding than prohibiting”, according to Pannier-Runacher

“Planning is more about guiding than prohibiting,” said Agnès Pannier-Runacher in the Senate on Thursday, who wants to come back to two controversial changes made in committee to the bill on renewable energies, the principle of a right of “veto of mayors and the distance of 40 km from the coast for offshore wind turbines.

The chamber of territories, dominated by the right, began Thursday morning the examination in first reading of the bill for the acceleration of renewable energies (EnR), the first stage of a high-risk course, before its passage before the National Assembly, from December 5.

This text aims to make France catch up on its delay in renewable energies, recalled the Minister for Energy Transition, stressing that fossil fuels, oil and gas for the most part, today represent “two thirds” of our consumption.

“We don’t have the luxury of waiting to get out of fossil fuels. The French are watching us,” she added.

The bill is divided into major components: streamlining of administrative procedures to reduce the time it takes to deploy projects; accelerating the development of solar energy and offshore wind; improving the local acceptability of projects.

Agnès Pannier-Runacher discussed two changes made in committee to the government text. She thus wishes to return to the addition of a form of “veto” right given to mayors to any renewable energy project.

She said she agreed “on the fact that mayors must be able to have the last word on structuring projects for their territory”, but would like this to be organized “in a thoughtful and voluntary planning process”.

The Minister presented an alternative amendment: it proposes that “elected officials define priority areas for renewable energies at the level of the SCoTs (territorial coherence schemes)”.

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Concerning offshore wind power, the rapporteur LR Didier Mandelli wishes to favor installation areas located at a minimum distance of 40 km from the shore.

For the Minister, this distance “would very significantly reduce our potential for the development of energy projects at sea”.

“With this provision, we will no longer be able to launch projects, even floating ones, in the North Sea, the English Channel and the Mediterranean. Only the Atlantic Ocean could host projects,” she warned.

Some 600 amendments have been tabled on the committee’s text and the debate could continue until Saturday.

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