Wind turbines

You'll perhaps (I hope!) have noticed some changes to the appearance of this blog.

We thought that it was time to update the original, and liked the idea of a photo in the header. This meant I was hunting for a picture that would work well in the very elongated format necessary. What better than a view of the nearly completed expanded 'parc des éoliennes' which dominates the hilltop on the opposite side of the valley from our house.

The first 8 éoliennes were erected in 2001, the year before we bought the house. They are on a 600 metre high ridge known as the 'Pic de Brau' about a kilometre away from the house. We've spent many an hour sitting on our terrace contemplating their ever-changing appearance: their colour varies from grey to white to orange/pink/scarlet depending on the sun and the clouds.

In November 2006, we were astonished to hear in England that some 'eco-terrorists' had attacked the éoliennes. On the internet, we saw our neighbour, the mayor of the commune, talking to French national TV about this bizarre event. Apparently, in protest against the environmental impact of increasing wind generation in France, someone used tyres, gas bottles and petrol to light fires in two of the éolienne columns. Since then, no-one seems to have claimed responsibility, though the police claim to be still active in investigating it. During August 2007, the remains of the two fatally damaged turbines were removed.

We then heard that there was a plan to greatly enlarge the 'parc des éoliennes' - as well as replacing the two that had been burnt, another 20 were to be built along the ridge. I can imagine the reaction that this might provoke if it were announced for an English beauty spot. The ridge is certainly a magnificent viewpoint - you can see the Pyrenees in the South/West, the Corbieres in the East and the Black Mountain in the North. There's also loads of interesting bird life - including a range of eagles.

So, did we feel a sense of NIMBY outrage? Well, no. In fact, we were quite excited by the whole project. We'd always enjoyed the original eight, so surely 28 would be even better? You hear stories about noise, birds being killed, landscapes disfigured, etc. And yet in our experience, none of the scare stories actually turn out to have any basis in reality.

And for the village, there's an economic dimension. The original eight produced a revenue of around 25% of the total commune income. It seems that the expanded 'parc' will generate about a quarter of a million euros a year for the local coffers. When locals want to maintain and develop facilities, including a village school, this seems pretty compelling.

It's not about trading off destruction of the environment for monetary gain, though. I think the 'parc' is becoming a thing of beauty, a magnificent sculpture. And it's making about 22 megawatts of energy from a renewable source . . . . Would anyone prefer a nuclear/gas/coal power station?

So, along with most of the villagers it seems, we are fans of this development. And it seems appropriate for it to feature at the top of our blog. Have you seen a prettier power station building site . . . . ?

Language note: éolien is an adjective meaning 'to do with the wind' or 'driven by the wind'. éolienne is a modern noun meaning 'wind turbine'. Aeolus (in French 'Éole') was the Greek God of the wind.

(Click here for local paper article, which is interesting if you can manage the French)