Starting July 1, a new law will give those living near wind turbines the right to financial compensation of up to 33,800 kronor per year. The aim is to compensate for the impact that wind developments can have on the living environment. Among many of those affected, however, the reform has met with strong criticism and is described more as an attempt to buy their acceptance than a real form of compensation.

For Per Karlsson in Herrljunga, who lives about 800 meters from the planned wind farm Kesemossen outside town, the compensation, however, feels insufficient.

– You can’t put a price on this life and living environment, he tells state radio.

The Kesemossen wind project was approved by the slimmest margin, just one vote. Despite the new legislation, he does not believe that financial compensation of up to 33,800 kronor per year can make up for the impact on the living environment.

READ ALSO: Wind Power Progresses Slowly – Now Swedes to Be Bribed to Accept Turbines

During the interview, Sveriges Radio reporter Rebecka Ljungquist suggests that Per could use the compensation to soundproof his house and thus better deal with the situation.

Disturbed Sleep and Nature Turned Industrial

In April, Samnytt interviewed residents in Jämtland whose local areas had seen wind farms established as part of the so-called green transition. They described fundamental changes to their daily lives.

– When I bought this place, nobody mentioned that they would be building a wind farm, one person told Samnytt.

READ MORE: Wind Power Killed Quality of Life – Residents Report Sleep Problems, Encroachment, and Unfair Compensation

It’s about the loss of silence, disrupted sleep, and how nature has taken on the feel of an industrial area. At the same time, criticism was directed at the compensation system, which they argue is both unfair and out of touch with reality.

– Those of us with hearing impairments actually seek out the sounds, someone added during the interview.

READ ALSO: The Threat from Wind Power Halved the Value of Sven and Görel’s House

Don’t Miss the Wind Power Investigation

In 2021, Samnytt produced a documentary series on wind power together with Madeleine Staaf Kura from Vindkraftsupplysningen.

READ ALSO: The Wind Power Industry Attacks Alternative Media: Spreads Russian Disinformation Claiming Wind Power Is Bad

The first part of the investigation can be viewed below: