The association "Schweizerische Vereinigung Landschaft ohne Windkraft - Association suisse paysage
sans éoliennes" was founded on January 15, 2004 and was renamed "Paysage Libre Suisse - Free Landscape Switzerland" in 2011.
Among other things, the association has set itself the goal of representing people and organizations at national level
who are committed to protecting nature and opposing the blighting of the landscape by industrial wind turbines.
In the meantime, 47 member organizations (as of 2025) from all over Switzerland have joined the association.
Wind energy is often presented as a particularly environmentally friendly and climate-friendly form of energy.
In a fact sheet on the carbon footprint of wind turbines, "Free Landscape Switzerland" writes: "If you take into account the poor
ecological conditions of their production, installation and recycling, the installation
of wind turbines is harmful to the climate."
The infrasound and shadow flicker caused by wind turbines can also lead to a variety of health problems such as concentration
disorders, nervousness, headaches and sleep disorders.
On March 11, 2025, "Freie Landschaft Schweiz" published a press release with the explosive title "Scandalous secret contracts
between wind energy promoter and Bernese municipalities".
A promoter promotes or advertises a cause for its own benefit, such as energy companies promoting new energies.
In these secret contracts, serious accusations are made against the Fribourg-based electricity company "Gruppe E"
and the Bernese municipality of Plateau de Diesse in connection with a wind farm in the Bernese Jura.
This is a perfect example of how wind power promoters in Switzerland use unfair methods to
influence public opinion in favor of wind power.
"Free Landscape Switzerland" writes:
"The association 'Mont Sujet Libre' is a member of the cantonal association 'Freie Landschaft Bern-Jura-Neuenburg (PL BEJUNE)'.
He is critical of the wind farm on Mont Sujet (Spitzberg in German), the exposed first Jura
mountain range between Chasseral and Lake Biel.
For a long time, the canton of Bern did not want a wind farm on Mont Sujet.
Surprisingly, and after a distorted weighing up of interests by the cantonal Directorate of Home Affairs and Justice (DIJ),
the canton then included the wind farm in its structure plan after all - by order of Government Councillor Evi Allemann.
Thanks to the Transparency Act, the association (Mont Sujet Libre) was able to obtain these highly sensitive documents.
Now it turns out that everything was faked by the wind energy promoter.
The former municipalities of Lamboing and Diesse signed a strictly confidential contract with 'Groupe E' 13 years ago.
Following the merger of the municipalities of the Plateau de Diesse, the new municipality took over the agreements signed
by the former authorities regarding the wind farm project.
These contracts, which are described as 'strictly confidential', are still binding for the municipality today.
It has undertaken not to disclose the content to third parties, not even to the municipal assembly.
However, these agreements have significant consequences, particularly in terms of
transparency and information for the public.
A community under influence
In accepting these agreements, the municipality of Plateau de Diesse undertook to 'use its political weight with the
local, regional and cantonal authorities to promote the harmonious development of the partners' projects'.
In plain language, this means that the municipality undertakes to lobby for the wind farm in the strictest
secrecy without informing and involving the municipal assembly.
These assurances also include the obligation to 'promote support from the population concerned'.
It is therefore understandable why the municipality has been actively promoting the project for years.
The consultative vote in June 2015, in which the population of the municipality approved the
project, is therefore based on an obvious error.
Serious conflict of interest
What is even more worrying is that the municipality is playing a dual role in this matter:
It is both the signatory to an agreement that obliges it to support the project and the body responsible for
examining the dossier and deciding on the preliminary decision for the utilization plan and the building permission.
This conflict of interest impairs the objectivity and independence required for an impartial assessment of the
project and makes future decisions legally contestable.
A financial matter
In return for its support of 'Groupe E Greenwatt', the municipality receives financial compensation.
However, the documents received from the 'Mont Sujet Libre' association were blacked out on this
point, so that the exact amounts are not known.
The economic reality behind the official discourse on renewable energies is tough:
The construction of wind farms is an extremely lucrative business, but only for the project developer.
60 % of the investment costs are subsidized by public funds, while the investor finances only 40 % of the
project and still becomes the sole owner of the facilities.
The municipalities only receive a minimal amount, which is not enough to compensate for the loss of
attractiveness and the inconvenience to residents.
Ultimately, there is a risk that the wind farm will become a financial 'own goal' for the municipality!
The wind lobby is happy."
This example shows in black and white how companies and authorities use dishonest methods to push through
controversial projects in the face of public opposition.
This is unlikely to be an isolated case.
Those who benefit from new technologies, whether wind turbines, 5G, electric cars, etc., are
likely to use any means to push through their plans.
The example of the municipality of Plateau de Diesse on the Chasseral shows how unfair methods, including the
deliberate dissemination of false information, are used to enable large corporations to profit and realize their plans.
This is done behind the backs of the population, who have to bear the negative, concealed
consequences of wind farms - and other new technologies.
The Swiss Federal Council is also focusing on a massive expansion of wind power with
the planned revision of the Energy Ordinance.
According to "Freie Landschaft Schweiz", this could mean the construction of over 400
wind turbines across the country by 2030.
Could it be that these new projects are also intended to deceive the public with false information?
For this and other reasons, the community protection and forest protection initiatives are needed.
According to the association "Freie Landschaft Schweiz", these two initiatives are now the last resort to preserve the
municipalities' right to have a say and to save forests, wildlife areas and valuable
nature from being cut down for wind power plants.
Around 40,000 signatures are still needed by the end of June 2025.
You too can contribute to the success of these popular initiatives with your signature!
You will find the double signature sheet in the blue box below the broadcast.