New observatory designed to measure the impact of wind turbines and solar panels on nature

What is the real environmental impact of onshore wind farms or photovoltaic panels? The National Observatory is created to see things more clearly, according to a decree published this Sunday in the Official Journal.

The creation of this “renewable energy and biodiversity observatory” was mandated by a law aimed at accelerating the production of renewable energy, promulgated on March 10, 2023.

Measuring the efficiency and cleanliness of infrastructure

In particular, this was requested by the association France Nature Environment (FNE), which considers it necessary to take into account the impact on ecosystems “to achieve a truly beneficial environmental and energy transition.”

The French Biodiversity Office (OFB) and the Ecological Transition Agency (Ademe) are now responsible for “synthesizing the knowledge available through existing research and data on the impacts of land-based renewable energy sources on biodiversity, soils and landscapes.”

They must also evaluate “the effectiveness of prevention, reduction or compensation measures accompanying the development of renewable energy sources.”

Another missing decree on environmental protection in agriculture

According to the text of the decree, the observatory may “conduct or request to conduct, on an ad hoc and targeted basis, specific studies and examinations on issues of interest related to its missions.”

The government also told AFP that a decree regulating the combination of food production and solar energy on agricultural land would be published in the Official Journal over the weekend. This was not the case. This text has been long awaited by energy companies and the agricultural world.