Taipei - Two Taiwanese coastal villages plan to hold a referendum on Saturday on whether to allow a German firm to build a wind farm along the coast, The China Times reported Thursday. InfraVest Group was scheduled to start building 13 turbines along the coast of Hsinwu in Taoyuan County, north Taiwan, in October, but construction has been delayed due to local opposition.
Villagers said the wind farms along Taiwan's coast have already destroyed vegetation and trees along the coast and create noise.
Taiwan residents have held referendums on building nuclear power plants, but have not yet held a referendum on building wind turbines yet.
Yeh Si-kui, head of the "Self Help Committee," told the paper that to build the 100-metre-tall turbines, Infra Vest must cut trees along the coast which serve as a wind breaker.
Once the wind turbines start running, they will create noise and destroy the ecology by harming mangroves and crabs.
Infra Vest is one of the main foreign wind power suppliers that have invested in Taiwan. They have insisted the turbines will not harm the local ecology.
Since 1999, Infra Vest has built five wind farms across Taiwan with a total of 90 turbines.
The Taiwanese government has supported wind and solar power to help protect the environment.
