Eolica, the other wind farm developer in Cogealac, asks for local referendum

Eolica Dobrogea, which is developing wind farms in several localities in Dobrogea, including Cogealac, will ask the Cogealac city hall to organize a referendum for all inhabitants to decide on how the wind energy potential in the area will be used. The inhabitants should also decide on how the EUR 3.5 billion revenues to the local budget will be used, Eolica said in a statement earlier today. Cogealac has been recently the site of a clash between inhabitants and the body guards of a wind farm project built in the locality. Eolica Dobrogea partners Spanish Ibedrola Renewable in the wind energy projects in the area. “The recent violent events in Cogealac and the public debate triggered by these events, where the name of our company was mentioned cast an unfavorable light to the renewable energy sector and on the activities of our companies, leaving into shadow the size of an investment above EUR 2 billion,” Eolica said in its statement. The debates triggered by the events in Cogealac, which were connected to CEZ's wind farm project there, also mentioned Eolica as one of the firm which had allegedly bribes the Cogealac mayor to favor their project. Eolica says it has gone through all the legal steps and received the approval for its Solution Study to connect to Transelectrica's power grid. Five people where shot with rubber bullets earlier this week in Cogealac. The shooting followed a conflict between the inhabitants and the mayor in Cogealac locality, on one hand, and the body guards protecting the wind farm project which is being built there. The mayor was planning to fine the company which owns and builds the wind park in Cogealac- Continental Wind Partners and CEZ. However, the body guards who protect the premises have not allowed the mayor’s team to enter the site. It was during the fight when the body guards decided to fire the rubber bullet guns.