04 Jan 2018

Opposition to major north-south power lines persists

Grid Society

Zeit Online

The decision to lay Germany’s planned major high-voltage power transmission lines SüdLink and SüdOstLink predominantly below ground has done little to calm resistance to both projects, writes Laura Cwiertnia for Zeit Online. Farmers worry that their soil would heat up, landowners fear the depreciation of their properties, and conservationists warn against the destruction of ecosystems, says Cwiertnia. A new study drafted by the Rhineland-Westphalia Institute for Economic Research (RWI Essen), seen by Zeit Online, shows that it can be counterproductive to offer compensation payments to local residents, as such offers increased mistrust. The study is scheduled for publication at the end of January.

Read the article (behind paywall) in German here.

Read CLEW’s factsheet Set-up and challenges of Germany's power grid for background.

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