The event, organized by the Plataforma Orta with support from Terra Alta Viva, highlighted public unease regarding the new energy planning. Organizers indicate the plan could significantly impact the municipality and the entire region.
Geographer and professor Sergi Saladié detailed the PLATER's contents, currently open for public review. He criticized the document for not adhering to the Climate Change Law, which promotes principles like proximity between energy production and consumption, prioritizing already altered areas, and fostering local energy communities.
According to Saladié, the Government's proposal concentrates wind and photovoltaic development in Catalonia's southern interior and Empordà, creating "sacrifice zones" and promoting a centralized energy model that intensifies pressure on regions like Terra Alta.
Jordi Clua, a farmer and member of the former Platform for the Defense of Terra Alta, recalled the mobilizations of the early 2000s, warning that many of those demands remain relevant. He denounced the impact of the Very High Voltage (MAT) power line on agricultural holdings and advocated for a development model that preserves economic activity and rural life.
Marta Martínez and Susanna Chertó, from Plataforma Orta, presented the plan's specific impacts on Horta de Sant Joan, using maps that designate areas of high landscape, environmental, and heritage value as suitable for renewable energy plants. They criticized the insufficient consideration of elements like inhabited farmhouses and scattered dwellings.
The Plataforma Orta will provide information to facilitate the submission of objections. The mayor of Horta de Sant Joan, Jordi Martín, announced the town council's efforts to prevent a "disproportionate" implementation of renewables and highlighted the unanimous approval by the Municipal Plenary to join the movement of municipalities opposing the PLATER, with support from Arnes and Prat de Comte.
