Czech government scraps Jestřebí wind‑farm acceleration zone

A proposed acceleration zone for renewable energy near the village of Jestřebí in the Zábřeh region was intended to host wind turbines with a total capacity of 28 MW. The zone was part of the RED III directive implementation and was included in a draft list of over sixty sites approved by the previous government.

Following more than 13,000 public comments, strong local opposition and legal challenges, the Ministry for Regional Development, led by Minister Zuzana Mrázová, removed the Jestřebí site from the final list approved last week. Mayor Jan Máj of Jestřebí welcomed the decision, saying the community had fought “madly” and was relieved the zone would not be created.

The planning process had been criticised for its speed and lack of transparency. Environment Minister Petr Hladík had tasked the Research Institute for Landscape (VÚK) and the private firm Integra Consulting—without a competitive tender—to produce the mapping data. Contracts worth 1.9 million CZK were also awarded to experts Martin Abel and Eva Volfová, both linked to political parties. The region continues to consider other wind projects, such as a 6.5 MW turbine near Pobučský vrch.