The vote will take place on Tuesday if Olabezar’s neighbours accept or not to install a photovoltaic park in the village. The project, promoted by the Ente Vasco de la Energía (EVE) and the company Kean, aims to start with a plot of 15 hectares.
Many doubts
The developers of the PV project met last week with Olabezar's neighbors to present the project. The meeting was held in a relaxed atmosphere, as there were many doubts to be clarified, as explained by the neighbours of Olabezar, Irene Robleda, Ainara Gochi and Asier Bolivar, to Aiaraldea Komunikabideak.
“They made it clear that they want to put solar panels on Ayala at the expense,” explains Robleda. In the words of the Basque Energy Agency, the PV park will serve to supply the companies of the industrial estate of Murga, but, as they recognized at the meeting, they have not yet agreed anything with local companies.
“Hidden information. It makes no sense to promote a project of this kind without first talking to the supplier companies,” said Robleda, “we asked them why they do not install solar panels in the industrial estate of Murga, but we do not gather compelling reasons.”
Robleda and Bolivar have explained that in the industrial estate of Murga there are plots classified as industrial soil and that the roofs of the companies can also be used to generate solar energy. “The Basque Energy Agency and Kean are committed to placing solar panels outside the industrial area, arguing that the factory roofs are old.”
They suspect the photovoltaic plate promoter group: “They use contradictory arguments to defend the project. In addition, Kean is a member of the Mondragon Cooperativa team, such as Etorki, one of Murga’s main companies. It is suspicious to say that they have had no relationship between them.”
Solar panels “wants and doesn’t want”
Ekian wants to rent the land of Olabezar for 25 years for 28,000 euros to the Administrative Board. “The Administrative Board does not need that money. On the contrary, the project will wipe out the livestock in the village,” Bolivar said.
At the end of the meeting, Robleda explains that the representatives who came to present the project threatened the citizens: “They told us that, if we wanted or not, they will put plates. They explained that we had two options, or that the plates were with them or that Iberdrola was going to expropriate the grounds.”
The farmers of the people threaten
Public land is located at the point of arrival of Ekian. It is the land on which the three existing holdings are developed. “If they put solar panels, we will have to abandon livestock,” Bolivar said.
Asier Bolivar has a cheese mill in Olabe and all its sources of income come from livestock. Another neighbor is in the same situation. “They want to develop the project to the detriment of small towns and their farmers,” Olabezar’s neighbor complains.
Vote Tuesday
The draft will be put to the vote on Tuesday. Neighbours who oppose the PV park are optimistic because “the majority of the population is against the project”, but the concern has spread in Olabez.
They have created a platform to denounce the situation and have broadened the issue of Instagram to make public the consequences of the project. I have also collaborated with other environmental projects in Ayala, such as the Aiaraldeko Mendia Bizirik platform.
