From Friday, 05 February to Friday, 12 February 2010 Edition #230
Village united in welcoming new wind farm


#148 From 2008-07-11 to 2008-07-18
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Mayor Jean-Louis Stasiak believes in the importance of wind power and also knows it will bring benefits to the commune
Reproduction interdite.
The village of Xambes north of Angoulême is watching with fascination as its six-turbine wind farm is constructed. By the end of July all the turbines will be in place, with the last one being erected on land belonging to the neighbouring commune of Vervant. It’s a big moment for mayor Jean-Louis Stasiak, who believes in the idea so much he actively went seeking wind farm operators. At his request the German company Abo Wind agreed to put up a mast to test the strength and frequency of the wind and thus its suitability for producing renewable energy. ‘Fortunately we came out well in the wind comparison tests,’ says the mayor, a plumber and central heating engineer by profession. Jean-Louis Stasiak says that the commune’s council took the time to explain the project to local people and answer their queries, and they organised an open day with graphics showing the wind farm. ‘There were lots of questions…but no one was hostile,’ he says. Now the mayor says that local people are looking forward to the project being completed and producing electricity. ‘They are proud of it,’ says Jean-Louis Stasiak. One potential concern was the noise that the turbines make when they turn in the wind. But the mayor says that should not be a problem. ‘The new generation machines turn slowly and produce significantly less noise than the old ones,’ he explains. Naturally there are economic benefits as well as environmental ones; this commune of 324 people will receive an extra €100,000 in professional taxes. This is significant for a commune that has an overall budget of just €280,000. ‘We’ll use the money to help reduce local taxes which are quite high at the moment,’ says the mayor. The construction of the wind farm comes at an important time for Xambes as it faces considerable disruption and change as a result of the new high speed LGV line passing through the department. They will lose land both to the main line and the spur route going to Angoulême. ‘We’re going to lose 13% of our surface area,’ says Jean-Louis Stasiak.
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