NGO says planned wind farm bonus violates Estonia’s constitution

A planned bonus for municipalities that support wind farm development may violate Estonia’s Constitution, the non-profit organisation Kinnisvara Kaitseks says, ERR reported.

The government plans to use the “wind development bonus” to encourage local authorities to allow wind farms in their territories. Its stated aim is to increase municipalities’ readiness to advance wind energy projects.

Energy and Environment Minister Erkki Keldo said onshore wind farm projects had faced strong local sensitivity and made little progress. He said communities that decide to support wind development would receive funding to improve living conditions and services, with local residents deciding how to spend it. Possible investments include sports facilities, education and culture.

Keldo added that municipalities and nearby communities most affected by wind farms would also receive financial support for each unit of energy produced. Some developers, he said, also offer cheaper energy.

Kinnisvara Kaitseks has argued that the state should not give municipalities a financial incentive to approve wind farms. Board member Tiia Raudmägi said this would directly interfere with local government autonomy, which is protected by the Constitution.

Raudmägi, a lawyer, said she considered the planned regulation unconstitutional. She said the government acknowledged that the measure interfered with local autonomy but regarded that interference as proportionate. In her view, significant legislation should be decided by parliament, not through an act adopted at government or ministerial level.

Keldo said a local benefit mechanism had already been established in law, citing mining fees in Ida-Virumaa as an example. He also said reducing dependence on fossil fuels imported from outside Estonia or Europe was a shared goal.