A Surprising Twist

Energie AG OÖ Wants to Invest in the Sandl Wind Farm

In Sandl in the Mühlviertel region, 19 wind turbines are to be built (stock photo).(Bild: APA/HANS KLAUS TECHT)

Energie AG Upper Austria apparently intends to acquire a 30 percent stake in the planned Sandl wind farm. However, the company has not yet confirmed these plans. The wind farm is slated to be built in a future exclusion zone and has so far faced opposition from state policymakers.

In Sandl, in the Freistadt district, private investors plan to erect 19 wind turbines. With an investment of up to 250 million euros and enough electricity to power 125,000 households, it is the largest wind power project in the state. The project is currently undergoing an environmental impact assessment. Its implementation was in jeopardy for a long time because the state intends to designate the area as a wind power exclusion zone. However, this exclusion zone regulation has still not been enacted, and all proceedings initiated prior to it remain unaffected, according to a “decision” by Governor Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP).

Supervisory Board to Decide Next Week
On Tuesday, the executive board of Energie AG is expected to propose to the supervisory board that the utility—which is majority-owned by the state—join the project, according to a report in the “OÖN.” Energie AG simply stated that internal documents would first be submitted to the supervisory board before any comments were made. The chairman of this body is State Councilor Markus Achleitner (ÖVP), who is expected to draft the exclusion zone regulation. In the media report, he states that, as chairman of the supervisory board, he follows the management’s recommendations and supports “all projects that are sustainable and economically viable.”

Opposition Welcomes the Move
SPÖ Provincial Councilor Martin Winkler, who sits on the supervisory board himself, welcomed the plans. “Ever since I took office, I have been strongly advocating that Energie AG invest in the Sandl wind farm and take responsibility for expanding domestic energy production.” Green Party Provincial Councilor Stefan Kaineder is pleased with “very good news” that stands “in complete contrast” to the province’s previous stance on wind power. And NEOS State Chairman Felix Eypeltauer is calling for a move away from the planned wind power exclusion zones: “Energie AG recognizes the need to expand wind power and is thus directly countering the planned Wind Power Exclusion Zone Ordinance.”