Concerns about power plant construction in the Wutach (Swiss Press Text 2015, by Zeno Geisseler) - Swiss Press Award

Schaffhauser Nachrichten

Zeno Geisseler

The Wutach, a border river between Schaffhausen and Baden-Württemberg, was renaturalized near Schleitheim at a cost of several million Swiss francs. A German investor had planned a hydroelectric power plant there, and because the power plant project fit well into Germany's energy transition plans, hardly anyone dared to oppose it. Many people, including specialist agencies, only learned about the project through our reporting. Our contribution had many consequences: Your report is posted on the website of the Baden State Fishing Association and has been read several thousand times by experts, wrote Armin Harth, chairman of the Upper Wutach Valley Fishing Association. The public is aware of the issue. I have had many inquiries and discussions. He continued: I think that the approval of the building application, as hoped by some parties in Germany, is no longer possible without further ado. What's also interesting about the situation is that the canton of Schaffhausen, which significantly supported the renaturalization, has nothing to say about the power plant project: Bern is responsible for border rivers.