Eight Friborg municipalities, opposed to the wind power component of the cantonal master plan, are stepping up their fight. They filed their complaint with the Competition Commission (COMCO) to question the choice of sites, “tainted by a conflict of interest”.
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The name of State Councilor Olivier Curty often came up in the mouth of David Ecoffey on Tuesday in Fribourg. The lawyer for the municipalities concerned denounced the three hats of the Minister of Energy, in a matter that has become ultra-sensitive over the years in the canton. The denunciation was filed ten days ago.
According to David Ecoffey, there is a “permanent and institutionalized conflict” in cantonal wind power. Olivier Curty’s first hat is that of State Councilor Director of the Economy, the second, arising from the function, being that of administrator of Group E, of which the State of Friborg is an 80.3% shareholder. .
Dominant role of the State
Group E, of which a small part of the shareholders is located in the canton of Neuchâtel, also holds 90% of the Greenwatt entity, active in particular in wind power. The electrical group is not an “ordinary” limited company, insisted David Ecoffey in his detailed presentation of the situation and history.
The third hat is taken from the 2016 directive concerning the representation of the State within companies, in connection with public company governance. The document covers public or private law entities in whose capital it participates. She plays an “extremely important role”.
The eight municipalities, in four districts, base their action for illicit practices on two articles of the federal law on cartels and other restrictions on competition (LCart). These are La Sonnaz, Vuisternens-devant-Romont, La Verrerie, Grangettes, Billens-Hennens, Sales, Sorens, Siviriez and, recently, Belfaux.
Lack of communications
While denouncing the lack of communications from the State, the trustee of Belfaux, Vincent Schickel, recalled that his municipality was not “fundamentally” opposed to wind power, but that it contested the lack of neutrality of the Master Plan cantonal. A consultative vote will also be held there on September 22, after others elsewhere.
“The commune of La Sonnaz feels less alone,” noted its trustee Denis Grandgirard. The latter was delighted with the inclusion of a representative of the eight municipalities within the steering committee (Copil), responsible for the wind energy component of the cantonal master plan, following the request for recusal for three people filed at the beginning of 2024.
The Copil will meet, with Denis Grandgirard, for the first time on June 17. There will thus be two opponents among the 17 members, instead of one. In total, eleven municipalities are affected by wind farm projects in the canton. The trustees still dispute that the wind measuring masts are only found in these.
The announcement of the procedure before the COMCO, which denounces the “closed” dimension of the cantonal plan, was formally announced on September 1. Tuesday’s press conference came against the backdrop of Sunday’s popular vote on the electricity law, which aims to expand renewable energy.
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