THISTED: The citizens of Thisted Municipality have given the green light to four out of eight proposed energy projects with solar cells and wind turbines. Based on the voting results, the municipal council has decided to initiate planning work for facilities at Gisselbæk, Bjerre, Ballerum and Vibberstoft. The municipality states this in a statement.
The votes were conducted as part of the so-called Thy model, where local citizens are given the opportunity to vote yes, no or blank on whether the municipality should initiate planning and environmental assessment of the energy projects. The four projects that have received the most support are three wind turbines at Gisselbæk, five wind turbines at Vibberstoft, 200 hectares of solar cells at Bjerre and 130 hectares of solar cells at Ballerum.
- When citizens can make a clear mark, have the opportunity for local co-ownership and ensure synergies and added value for the local community they are a part of, they can better see themselves in the projects. We have four projects that document broad local support. That is why we choose to send all four forward. It is a clear signal and a desire for a quick clarification for citizens locally, says Mayor Niels Jørgen Pedersen (V), who is CEO. director of Thisted Municipality.
Not everyone is against renewable energy in their backyard
According to the municipality, the votes challenge the common perception that citizens do not want the green transition in their backyard.
- Those who are against solar and wind locally naturally find their way to us through consultation responses, etc. With the anonymous votes, we have now given everyone a voice and thus gained a clearer picture of what citizens in a broader group want, says Niels Jørgen Pedersen.
The four projects together trigger Green Pool funds of between four and 20 million DKK per project. The municipality wants at least 80 percent of the funds to be invested directly in the affected local communities.
With the municipal council's decision, a longer authority and planning process now begins. The first step is a new municipal plan, which must be adopted in June 2025. This will be followed by public consultations and environmental assessments for each individual project.
The Thy model and the background to it
Thisted Municipality requires local support before planning solar and wind projects is initiated. The model has been developed after previous resistance and large amounts of consultation responses and access to documents.
The municipality has identified areas where the projects can be located, corresponding to up to a third of the municipality's area. Based on input from over 4,000 citizens, five themes have been formulated as a starting point for an early dialogue between the developer and the local community. Here, citizens and associations have had the opportunity to provide input and suggestions before the projects are sent for a vote.
Source: Thisted Municipality
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