Czech municipalities push back on accelerated wind and solar zones

The Czech Ministry of the Environment has cut the number of designated "accelerated zones" for fast‑track wind and solar projects from 110 to 61, leaving 46 zones unchanged and reducing 15 others. In Zlín‑Malenovice, a town of about 8,000 residents, the mayor Jiří Korec (ANO) and deputy mayor Vojtěch Volf (KDU‑ČSL) warned that the proposed site collides with nature‑protection, landscape and public‑health interests. A petition signed by roughly 2,500 people has been submitted demanding the area’s removal from the plan. Meanwhile, Trhový Štěpánov in the Central Bohemian region, led by mayor Josef Korn, objects to the new zone because it would spoil the view of the nearby Blaník mountain. Korn said the proposal "is a pest in the eye" and plans to meet with mayors of neighboring villages to coordinate a response. Both towns argue that renewable projects should focus on already disturbed lands to minimise impact on the countryside. The Ministry’s revised zoning will be incorporated into a draft regional development plan to be presented to the government by the end of July.