Janusz Gajowiecki, President of the Polish Wind Energy Association: The position of the wind energy industry is clear and firm: we do not propose and will not propose the possibility to use the institution of a public purpose investment to build wind farms. These facilitations are intended for energy infrastructure ensuring transmission of electricity and heat in Poland. Wind farm investments need not benefit from special rights stipulated for a precisely defined list of investments. We want to be subject to a full planning procedure, respecting the public and local communities.

We have proposed and do propose introduction of a minimum distance of 500 m from residential development as a compromise developed together with a broad spectrum of local government and ecological stakeholders.

Acoustic impact, verified in detail in the draft proposed by Mr Tusk and Mr Hołownia, provides even better safeguards for the interests of local communities. Due to acoustic impact, state-of-the-art wind turbines will not be built closer than 500 m from homes. Application of the wind farm noise criterion will in practice translate into investments being implemented 500 to 700 m from development, in compliance with the previously developed compromise.

The above distances were furthermore validated in a report on wind farm impact on human health prepared by the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), which states that acoustics is the ultimate determinant of wind farm distance from buildings. PAN recommendation is clear — 500 m guarantees full security of inhabitants.