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Diari de Catalunya

'No' to Baells power plant wins in Vilada and La Nou consultations

Residents of Vilada and La Nou have expressed their rejection of the hydroelectric project, although the outcome is non-binding.

Generic image of a ballot box with 'NO' votes prominently displayed, in a rural setting.
IA

Generic image of a ballot box with 'NO' votes prominently displayed, in a rural setting.

Citizen consultations held this Saturday in Vilada and La Nou have revealed a clear community rejection of the construction of the reversible hydroelectric power plant in La Baells, despite the non-binding nature of the results.

In Vilada, the 'no' to the project prevailed with 55% of the votes. Out of 228 participants, 126 opposed the plant, while 101 voted in favor. Participation in this municipality was 58.3%, with 391 residents eligible to vote.
The 'no' vote was even more decisive in La Nou, securing 69% of the ballots. In this locality, 72 out of 104 voters rejected the initiative, with a participation rate of 66.67% from a census of 156 people.
Although the results of these consultations are not legally binding, the mayors of La Nou and Vilada have pledged to respect the popular will, as participation significantly exceeded the 30% threshold. The town councils can submit objections against the project and defend the residents' stance before the promoting companies.
Nevertheless, the construction of the plant could proceed if the developers obtain all necessary licenses, which depend on the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Spanish Government. Meanwhile, the town council of Cercs, another affected municipality, has approved the installation and ruled out organizing a consultation.
The project is led by the Spanish renewable energy company Capital Energy, through its subsidiary E-Storagy, and the Austrian public utility Verbund. The Generalitat recently approved the participation of the Catalan public company L'Energètica in the shareholding with at least a 10% stake.

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