Wind Farms and the Sicilian Landscape

Wind energy is the fastest growing sector in the energy industry today. In Sicily, from January 2003 to June 2008, numerous wind farms were set up mainly in the provinces of Agrigento, Palermo, Catania and Siracusa, which have increased production from 62 MW to 724 MW, and is expected to rise to 1900 MW by 2020. The ANEV (National Association of Wind Energy) study on Sicilian wind farms argues that it would guarantee a power output of 3.23 TWh (trillion watt hours) with an employment benefit to the industry of a total 7,537 of which 2,228 are direct employees, and a land utilisation of only 0.00092%. Furthermore, the landscape may benefit following a protocol between environmental associations and ANEV. Producing ‘clean’ energy reduces environmental pollution with savings of more than 3 million tons of CO2. This work analyses the landscape settings of wind farms in Sicily. When the European Landscape Convention (ELC) refers to ‘landscape management’ it points to ‘action from a perspective of sustainable development, to ensure the regular upkeep of a landscape, so as to guide and harmonise changes which are brought about by social, economic and environmental processes”. Any changes must be correctly guided to obtain a harmonious rapport between the actions of nature and those of man. One wonders whether in Sicily, in the absence of a Regional energy programme, the wind farms were located in accordance with European and national norms as well as with environmental characteristics in a Region which should make its landscape a strong point in promoting tourism.