The Ministry of Defense of Estonia has questioned whether it should be allowed to set up solar panel parks in the regions that border Russia, writes ERR News.
Municipalities in Ida-Viru County, which is one of the regions that will be affected by the ban, are worried about meeting the government’s climate goals if they are not allowed to build solar or wind parks. Miiko Peris, head of the Innovation Department of the Ministry of Defense, said:
«The challenge facing the Ministry of Defense is that electromagnetic waves emitted from a solar power installation interfere with the defense forces’ early warning systems, and these early warning systems are, in turn , are a vital aspect to maintaining national defense.»
The Ministry states that the restrictions do not apply to solar panels installed near or on kindergartens and school buildings. Peris pointed out that it is important to develop environmentally friendly energy production, but national security interests are also very important.
Since the restrictions imposed for the sake of defense affect the entire Ida-Viru County, the municipalities are worried about how to achieve the climate goals. Eight municipalities have sent a letter with objections to the government. The mayor of Narva, Katri Raik, said that the main thing that the municipalities want to achieve is the understanding from the government that they cannot implement the climate goals due to the existing conditions.
The Ministry of Defense expressed the hope that with the development of technology, it will be possible to ease restrictions on solar and wind farms on the border in time.
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