Debate on the nationally significant issue "The Drawbacks of Wind Power," initiated by the faction of the Estonian Conservative People's Party.
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary session
Date: 2025-04-24 13:07
Total Speeches: 148
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 3h 53m
AI Summaries: 148/148 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The main question of the current agenda was the state question "The Drawbacks of Wind Power" initiated by the Conservative People's Party of Estonia’s faction and the related discussion in the Riigikogu. Four speakers were invited to the agenda (energetics expert Margus Sild, member of the NGO Nature and People Urmas Maranik, doctor Anti Kukkela and member of the EKRE faction Rain Epler), who will be heard for up to 20 minutes, and 25 minutes have been allocated for questions and answers. The initiators suggested extending the session until its conclusion, but no later than 2:00 PM, in order to ensure the smooth functioning of the parliamentary building, and the Riigikogu was to vote on this proposal. If the proposal is adopted, the session will be extended, there is no objection, and ultimately, no decision will be made at the end of the discussion. According to the initial result, the session adopted the extension with 28 votes in favor, 0 against and 3 abstentions. Subsequently, the speakers' presentations continued and members of the Riigikogu attempted to clarify the effects of wind energy and the necessary solutions for ensuring energy security during the discussion, raising points for and against regarding the balance of production and consumption, storage possibilities, network operation and environmental and economic impacts.
Generally, the agenda evolved into a multifaceted and largely critical discussion of wind energy within the broader picture of renewable energy, focusing on risks, costs, technical solutions (storage, hydro-, hydrogen-based energy storage, balancing of the electrical grid), judicial and planning processes and the protection of the interests of local communities. The key turning point was primarily the question of whether and to what extent wind farms and other energy sources are sufficiently balanced and what anticipated impacts (health, environment, property values) should be foreseen and compensated.
Decisions Made 2
The session was extended to exhaustion until 2 PM; voting results: in favor 28, against 0, abstentions 3. Therefore, the session has been extended and the discussion continues.
The Riigikogu will not adopt the resolution regarding the agenda item in question – the discussion will continue and no decision will be made at this sitting.
Most Active Speaker
Rain Epler (EKRE) – The day’s most active speaker; in a right-wing (airy) political position. His participation marked the beginning of a detailed examination of wind energy, and a critical analysis of its reliability, as well as its economic, technical, and social impacts. His presentation included broad criticism and consideration of alternative solutions, including discussion of storage and meaningful investments.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
In Arvo Alleri's speech, the national debate initiated by the EKRE faction, "The Dark Side of the Wind Industry," was introduced; the list of speakers and the rules of procedure were described, and a proposal was made to extend the session to 14:00, during which the debate would continue and no final decision would be taken.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The proposal received 28 votes in favor, 0 against and 3 abstentions; the session was extended until 14:00 and we move on to today's presentations, inviting energy expert Margus Sild to the podium.
Energeetik Margus Sild
AI Summary
Margus Sild states that wind energy on a larger scale is unstable and economically problematic, because it requires baseload production or expensive storage and grid-balancing solutions and cannot meet consumption, therefore it is suitable only for small businesses and households.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Arvo Aller finished the presentation, saying that time was up and a couple of slides remained, but in the question-and-answer round the topics would be covered, and he invited Kalle Grünthal to the stage.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kalle Grünthal claims that wind turbines do not operate without wind, and therefore a backup system is needed, for example combined heat and power plants, whose efficiency is low and price high, and he asks how much the lack of wind in Estonia could affect the rise in energy prices.
Energeetik Margus Sild
AI Summary
Energy price on the stock market is determined by the most recent megawatt and may rise in a volatile and unpredictable manner, and wind turbines and solar parks cannot produce energy for the grid if the grid is down or the operation of large power plants ceases, which makes prices wildly uncertain.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman asks Vadim Belobrovtsev to take the floor.
Vadim Belobrovtsev
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The question posed to the presenter expresses concern about whether Estonia can abandon oil shale too quickly and resolutely within the framework of the green transition, or whether a balance can still be found.
Energeetik Margus Sild
AI Summary
Energy specialist Margus Sild says that oil shale is not as dirty as it is often believed and that modern technology reduces its emissions, and Estonia is relatively greener within the European Union, and he believes that there is no workable solution to achieve a CO2-free economy within 100–200 years, and therefore it is not sensible to destroy the Estonian economy, but one should continue using oil shale and, if necessary, move toward nuclear energy together with the development of safe technologies, including molten-salt and sodium-cooled reactors.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller invited Martin Helmet to take the floor.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme criticizes the lobbyists' talk: although the share of renewable energy is about 20%, and theoretically, by increasing wind power capacity, production could largely come online, this does not solve the problem, and price-related issues are, in addition, other obstacles.
Energeetik Margus Sild
AI Summary
Because Estonia cannot generate large amounts of energy from wind power, since wind is not always available, and from the grid’s point of view the share of renewable energy could be only about 10%, a baseload energy source (for example, nuclear or hydro) is needed, which we currently lack, and oil shale-fired plants, which compensate for wind energy, are the most polluting.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
This is merely a plea to invite Lauri Laatsi onto the stage.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats notes that Estonia wishes to consume by 2030 as much green energy as is produced, but asks how this would be physically possible if green energy depends mainly on wind and solar, referring to Sweden's experience and to the fact that wind energy has incurred losses in recent years, and asks about the experiences and perspectives of foreign countries in this field.
Energeetik Margus Sild
AI Summary
Margus Sild emphasizes that cheap electricity producers are mainly nuclear or hydro-powered; we lack both sufficient hydro energy potential and a clear option to switch to wind energy, and energy security depends on neighboring networks and their coverage.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller asks Rene Kokk.
AI Summary
Rene Kokk emphasizes that without wind electricity cannot be produced, and therefore other solutions are needed; he is a proponent of nuclear energy and sees a vision for Estonia to move forward with oil shale until nuclear energy arrives – some wind turbines will remain – and he asks whether today’s backup power solutions in Estonia are sufficient and whether they are cost-effective.
Energeetik Margus Sild
AI Summary
Margus Sild emphasizes that the backup power supply for large consumers must include solar panels and battery banks, because keeping a reserve in hot weather and generators are very expensive, and the state does not consult experts on how to do it.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller invites Mario Kadastikut onto the stage.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mario Kadastik criticizes the presentation, stating that almost all numbers are wrong, and asks why the Estonian people should pay a total of 15 billion euros over the next 15 years in addition to funding for oil shale, and whether leaving the BRELL system and importing nuclear technology from Russia is the right choice.
Energeetik Margus Sild
AI Summary
Margus Sild believes that leaving BRELL was a mistake, because Russia created an alternative grid and there is no longer any way to go back, although Russia's influence is limited, we must take into account that we do not need to import nuclear technology from Russia and we should assess what operates in the West and develop it further, because Russia in this area is unfortunately far behind, and in large-scale battery systems one must take into account the role of infrastructure and public procurement, because private individuals' purchases do not convey the needs of large systems with regard to transmission lines and substations.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller invites Kristina Šmigun-Vähi to come to the podium and reads out the question.
Kristina Šmigun-Vähi
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Kristina Šmigun-Vähi said that she is not a specialist, but she is interested in energy and renewable energy topics and asked how a nuclear power plant releases pollution into the environment, given the claim that in Estonia it is not possible to be energy-neutral within 200 years.
Energeetik Margus Sild
AI Summary
Fast-neutron technology, which Russia has developed and which is used in an old sodium-cooled nuclear power plant from the 1980s, enables almost complete utilization of nuclear fuel, requires less enrichment, and reduces environmental and radioactive-waste hazards, since its half-life is about 300–400 years, compared with the usual about 10,000 years.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
This is just a prayer to Siim Pohlak.
Siim Pohlak
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Siim Pohlak criticizes that, against the backdrop of the green transition, energy poverty and dissatisfaction arise in Estonia’s communities when the construction of wind farms is pushed forward with the help of lawyers against the will of local residents, and developers hope for large revenues, although the source of profit that would suit the producer is unclear, and this creates a contradiction within the system.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
He calls on listeners to act, saying that it is their time.
Energeetik Margus Sild
AI Summary
The answer is simple: it is government support and the so-called underbidding, where if one wind power producer wants to secure a price as low as 2.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, that price is considered favorable by the state, but the reality is that the average price cannot fall that low and stays high, which means that wind-energy magnates recoup their losses through higher prices, and therefore Enefit Green is ready to shut down its Sopi-Tootsi wind farm if the energy price falls below its production cost.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Arvo Aller announced that there were only 40 seconds left and the Q&A had to be finished, and the next speaker would be Urmas Maranik.
MTÜ Looduse ja Inimeste Eest liige Urmas Maranik
AI Summary
Urmas Maranik stresses that Estonia's wind energy planning is fragmented without central coordination, and a large portion of the areas lie on forest land, which threatens the living environment and the protection of protected species, and causes a decline in property prices, while there are no adequate compensation mechanisms and no reliable impact assessments.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
This is a call to act and to take responsibility, because it is your time.
MTÜ Looduse ja Inimeste Eest liige Urmas Maranik
AI Summary
During the night, the permitted target values were exceeded.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The time for the presentation has run out; we must continue answering questions, as there are already questions, and Mario Kadastik is asked to come up to the podium.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The presenter notes that the 2022 bird red list has been made more precise as a result of a follow-up study and is no longer so red, and asks whether you know about this list and why the new list is not being used.
MTÜ Looduse ja Inimeste Eest liige Urmas Maranik
AI Summary
The 2022 map showed that, taking into account all restrictions and recommendations, it would not be possible to build a single wind farm in Estonia, but site-specific studies have refined the habitats of protected species, and this has once again constrained development activity.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The deputy chairman Arvo Aller asks Rene Kokk to come to the podium.
AI Summary
Rene Kokk calls on Estonian local governments to stand up for people and the living environment, praises the Rapla City Council for terminating the Karitsa wind park's special planning, and asks whether adequate studies are carried out before planning wind parks to assess the health of people and animals and the broader impacts.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Your time has come.
MTÜ Looduse ja Inimeste Eest liige Urmas Maranik
AI Summary
Urmas Maranik said that in Estonia, when planning a wind farm, one should immediately prepare a noise map, conduct on-site noise measurements, and take into account the cumulative noise exposure, in order to avoid situations where a nearby factory together with the wind farm exceeds the noise limit.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller invites Kalle Grünthal to speak.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kalle Grünthal raised the question that in Estonia there is a lack of knowledge about the harmfulness of tuugenites, and there are no calibrated instruments, accredited operators, and the equipment needed for state control, and he asked for an assessment of the objectivity of the measurements at the Saarde wind farm in light of these deficiencies.
MTÜ Looduse ja Inimeste Eest liige Urmas Maranik
AI Summary
Urmas Maranik notes that the noise measurements of the Saarde wind farm are unreliable and contradictory, because both the equipment and the software cannot process the data with sufficient accuracy, technical faults occur, and the advance notice before disclosure and removal of recommendations raise questions about the transparency of the process.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The deputy chair Arvo Aller addresses Martin Helme and makes a request.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme criticizes the widespread expansion of planning in Estonia, arguing that a large part of the country falls under the grip of future large-scale constructions, and their impact does not actually improve life, and he emphasizes that local governments' autonomy is key in the planning process.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The central message of the speech is that it's your time.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme asks for a bit of clarification on what people should bear in mind and what to monitor at different stages.
MTÜ Looduse ja Inimeste Eest liige Urmas Maranik
AI Summary
The report notes that in Estonia people should be involved already in the first stage of area pre-selection and detailed planning, but in practice this is not done; there are notification requirements, but developers can bear the costs of impact assessment and planning themselves and influence the process, and the first pre-selection stage is often a charade, since the plots have already been purchased or reserved.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
This is a short prayer to Varro Vooglaid.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid criticizes the plan to turn Estonia into a large tech park, pointing to a map that shows the rest of the land and sea area would be packed away, and then asks about the land-rent mechanism (in comparison to Denmark) and whether representatives of the government coalition are willing to consider backing the same project.
MTÜ Looduse ja Inimeste Eest liige Urmas Maranik
AI Summary
The topic has been discussed in several ministries and in the Riigikogu, and it is hoped that there will be a change.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
That was a short and direct appeal by which Anti Poolametsa was invited to perform.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets asked how things stand with the impact zone and compensation applied to Danish wind turbines, and referred to a comprehensive Chinese study in which biomass declined significantly due to the turbines' influence, and on the area around a single turbine the amount could be as much as two million euros, asking whether that study is familiar and whether Estonia should pay more attention to it.
MTÜ Looduse ja Inimeste Eest liige Urmas Maranik
AI Summary
Urmas Maranik pointed out, based on the results of a long-term study conducted in China, that wind farms reduce plants' CO2 sequestration and biomass within a radius of up to about 15 kilometers, and the impact is stronger near the wind farm and on flat terrain closer to sea level, whereas in the European Union the price of CO2 quotas is higher than in China and therefore potential damage may be greater.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller invited Vladimir Arhipov to speak.
Vladimir Arhipov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Vladimir Arhipov thanked the chair and the presenter and posed three questions: whether all studies related to national defense and public health have been conducted, whether there are too many wind farms or not needed at all, and what the alternative would be.
MTÜ Looduse ja Inimeste Eest liige Urmas Maranik
AI Summary
Urmas Maranik noted that no studies have been conducted on the relationship between national defense and human health, there is a plan to monitor public health, but too many state wind sites have been planned and there are no alternatives regarded as ideal, and he stressed that we must address electricity security and develop domestic energy sources, such as oil shale, wood chips, solar, wind, and in the future geothermal energy.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-chairman Arvo Aller turned to Mart Helme with a request.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme thanked the substantive presenter and then pointed out that in the future the costs associated with the disposal of wind turbine waste must be taken into account, and he gave as an example that during demolition one must know where to put old Eternit and other waste, and how much it will cost, and these costs must be included in the price of the new construction.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
He says that now is your time.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
They ask whether their idea has been taken into account, and exactly where these wastes are being utilized.
MTÜ Looduse ja Inimeste Eest liige Urmas Maranik
AI Summary
Urmas Maranik pointed out that there is a lot of discussion in municipalities about responsibility for wind turbine waste, because blade recycling is complex and there have been examples where a damaged blade was buried in a landfill, and during its lifetime it is estimated that about 13% of blades will require at least one blade replacement, which will pose a significant burden on waste management in the future.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The presenter and the questioners are thanked, the time has run out, and we move on to today's third presenter, who is Dr. Anti Kukkela.
Doktor Anti Kukkela
AI Summary
Dr. Anti Kukkela greets the esteemed Speaker of the Riigikogu and its members and introduces himself as Anti Kukkela.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The speech focuses on welcoming the chairman.
Doktor Anti Kukkela
AI Summary
Dr. Anti Kukkela's message is that wind turbines generate pulsating infrasound and a unique acoustic signature, which Estonian metrology cannot distinguish sufficiently, therefore health effects may go unnoticed, and there is a need for measurements with higher temporal and spectral resolution and extensive studies that show a link between health disorders and the wind farms' area of influence up to about 15–20 kilometers away.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Time has run out.
Doktor Anti Kukkela
AI Summary
Dr. Anti Kukkela apologized.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Arvo Aller said that the beep lasted for 30 seconds until the end, but you have questions and the answers can be linked to the closing slides; Kalle Grünthal, please.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Grünthal refers to the 2018 WHO guidelines on health risks of toxic substances and investigates how a person's heart rate and the pulse signals emanating from it, when they collide or reflect off one another, may affect a person's health.
Doktor Anti Kukkela
AI Summary
In the presentation, resonance is explained as a phenomenon of acoustics, and it is noted that although resonance of human internal organs under pulsatile operating conditions has not been found, the focus has mainly been on studies of bats, where due to the peculiarities of their respiratory organs pulsatile acoustic energy may cause ruptures of the respiratory organs.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice Speaker Arvo Aller said that further clarifications could be asked later, and invited Mario Kadastikut to speak.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
He explains examples of acoustic pressures, calculates that at 4 Hz the level is about 20 decibels, i.e., about a 0.2 millipascal pressure difference, and asks what physiological mechanism such a small change in the body could cause, since virtually no measurable effect was found.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The speech emphasizes that now is your time.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
He claims that the auditory organ cannot measure and asks what its actual physiological effect is and what process it is.
Doktor Anti Kukkela
AI Summary
Dr. Anti Kukkela notes that the health effects of infrasonic and low-frequency sound have been most thoroughly studied by a school of Portuguese scientists, and their studies point to mechanical transduction and proliferation of the extracellular matrix, which may cause pathological changes.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme claims that there is a reluctance to answer the question and wants to show how much smarter he is, and highlights the importance of health issues, focusing on the harmfulness of bisphenol A and asking what this substance is and what it does to people and animals.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair asks Martin Helmet to take the floor.
Doktor Anti Kukkela
AI Summary
Dr. Anti Kukkela said that bisphenol A accounts for about 30–40% of the weight of turbine blades; a blade weighs 60–90 tons, so one blade could contain up to 20–30 tons of BPA. In addition, due to erosion, micro- and nano-particles released into the air threaten the environment, where BPA is a xenoestrogen and is linked to about 80 diseases, increasing overall mortality and the number of deaths.
AI Summary
Rene Kokk stressed that some ridicule the study of environmental and health risks and asked how capable the Estonian medical field is to evaluate and identify the harmful effects of infrasound, low-frequency sound, or electromagnetic radiation on health, and whether we are prepared to detect such problems.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair invites Rene Kokk to speak.
Doktor Anti Kukkela
AI Summary
According to the statement, diseases and health disorders may arise due to physical environmental factors, for example under the influence of low-frequency sound or radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, and it is emphasized that both the public and medical professionals should be aware of the risks, and within medical education and continuing education, environmental health and the health risks of new technologies should be addressed.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman Lauri Hussar asks Jüri Jaanson to speak.
Jüri Jaanson
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Jüri Jaanson claims that Estonia's infrasonic and low-frequency acoustic energy measurement methodology cannot register a signature unique to wind turbines, and emphasizes the potential negative health effects of this acoustic energy, and asks whether he has spoken about this to the Estonian Doctors' Union and what the doctors' reactions are.
Doktor Anti Kukkela
AI Summary
Dr. Anti Kukkela emphasizes that health problems in Estonia are systemic and must be addressed by keeping a health diary, by consulting a doctor, and by specialized training organized before the introduction of new technology.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asks Mart Helme.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme claims that although the existing studies are insufficient and prove nothing, corrupt individuals are planning a long-term tuugenigenotsiidi, and he asks how this would affect the fetus and the health of an unborn or already born baby.
Doktor Anti Kukkela
AI Summary
Dr. Anti Kukkela claims that infra- and low-frequency sound can, after a brief exposure, cause significant changes in the health and development of both animals and humans, showing a decline in reproductive capacity and an increase in abortions at a mink farm in the Netherlands, and thickening of the heart pericardium in children near Puerto Rico.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asks Anti Poolametsa.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets highlighted the important role of information sources on the effects of wind turbines, and noted that in Estonia the impact zone defined at 800 meters from residences is absurdly small, and if the impact zone could be 15–20 kilometers, the question arises where in Estonia, based on such studies, wind turbines could be placed.
Doktor Anti Kukkela
AI Summary
Dr. Anti Kukkela apologizes and asks for the question to be repeated.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar announces that the microphone will be returned to Anti Poolamets.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets claims that due to infrasonic effects the impact zone should be at least 10–15 kilometers, and since the current limit is only about 800 meters, wind farms should not be erected at all in Estonia based on these data.
Doktor Anti Kukkela
AI Summary
The message of the presentation is that the larger size and greater power of tuugenites generate energy at lower frequencies, and the safe distance is not yet known, because the dose that makes you sick is unknown, and Estonian norms do not protect health from harmful effects.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar invited Varro Vooglaid onto the stage to speak.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid notes that the expansion of wind farms may not bring cheap electricity and may change Estonia's natural environment and living conditions, and as a physician he asks what conditions, or whether something could be done differently, would permit the construction of large wind turbines in Estonia in such a way that health effects would not be so serious, including aspects of noise pollution and bisphenol contamination.
Doktor Anti Kukkela
AI Summary
Dr. Anti Kukkela recommends that before the construction of a wind power plant and for existing plants, a thorough health and environmental impact assessment be conducted, including mapping the health status of local people and livestock, extensive acoustic measurements and an assessment of the presence of infrasound and low-frequency noise, chemical monitoring for microplastic pollution and bisphenol, and ongoing, at least five-year monitoring and comparison of the health of similar residents outside the area of influence, in order to reduce health risks during planning and oversight.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanked the presenter, informed that the time for questions and answers had ended, and announced that the next speaker at the Riigikogu's podium is Rain Epler from the EKRE faction.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler emphasizes that Estonia should focus on developing dispatchable power capacities and use cheap oil-shale electricity together with cogeneration, limit the expansion of large wind and solar capacities and exports, in order to ensure a low electricity price and a strong economy.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair thanked the audience and opened the Q&A session, asking Martin Helme to take the floor.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
CO2 is neither a poison nor an emission, but a gas essential for life, and there is anyway too little of it, so fighting it and taxing it is inhumane, and he criticizes the Reform Party's plan to build a nuclear power plant at the same time as gas and wind power plants and the corrupt motives of the funding.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler argues that the CO2 issue is a bigger fear than the real problem, and for a stable electricity supply wind and solar energy are not sufficient, so we should prefer developing a nuclear power plant, taking into account the grid load even in hobby electricity consumption.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Speaker Lauri Hussar invites Varro Vooglaid to the stage.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid accuses the coalition of numerology and distorting facts, and says that if their claims are true, the project is contrary to the well-being of Estonian society and its people and serves narrow corporate interests, and recommends, if necessary, turning to the State Prosecutor's Office because of indications of fraud.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler emphasizes that a framework must be created that ensures equal conditions for entrepreneurs and reliable and affordable energy, and it should be remembered in the hall that lobbying must not give advantages to a narrow circle, and the whole economy must flourish.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman, Lauri Hussar, asks that Anti Poolamets take the floor.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets said that the current trajectory of energy subsidies is linked to a long-standing fraud and the background of the Soviet nomenklatura, and he asked about the possibilities for using the 2.8-billion offshore wind farm subsidy and the 200-million onshore wind farm subsidy, discussing whether the same money could be used to build an oil shale plant or a nuclear power plant, and he stressed that the cost of storage and the Paldiski Depression have so far not been taken into account.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler urged an end to the talk that there is not enough money and taxes must be raised, and urged directing resources to the construction of the nuclear power plant, telling the Ida-Viru energy workers that they should build one more unit and keep electricity prices at a reasonable level until the nuclear power plant is ready.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman Lauri Hussar invited Mario Kadastik to take the floor.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kadastik said quickly that the 15 billion is an estimate based on Enefit Power's oil shale price and last year's average price for the next 15 years, that in the event of a wind surplus there must be a balance of consumption in the grid and if supply does not come, they switch themselves off, and regarding the 120 million, he referred to yesterday's debate with Urmas, which we held, where we did not delve into number magic, but the companies' interest is market access and building batteries, not keeping the price high.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler said that energy producers should be temporarily exempt from the obligation to purchase CO2 quotas, and to cooperate jointly in a proposal to the European Commission to alleviate the energy deficit, showing that electricity production from oil shale is cheaper than gas and has lower CO2 emissions, and at the same time emphasised that all companies should earn a reasonable profit and that money should not flow to political parties.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asks Arvo Alleri to take the floor.
Arvo Aller
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Arvo Aller highlights different perspectives (those of a doctor, nature, and energetics), discusses CO2 quotas from an investment perspective and expresses support for their abolition, and Estonia could seek an exemption at the European level to trade without quotas, asking how far such a direction could lead?
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler spoke about two years' experience in the Riigikogu and highlighted funny situations where the opposition's reasonable proposal is voted down, and a week later a new proposal with the same wording is submitted, and he hoped that if his proposal were voted down, some coalition MP, for example Mario Kadastik, would come and say that negotiations would begin to abolish the obligation to purchase CO2 quotas, which would be very good for Estonia.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair asks Martin Helme to take the floor.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme is convinced that the green fraud will end and that three billion and annual subsidies of about one hundred million will finally be obtained, accusing the fraud in a Goebbels-like fashion and claiming that the CO2 problem was created to intimidate, although in reality CO2 is produced and the construction of large wind turbines adds to it.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler criticizes the two-faced nature of the green transition, points out the large CO2 emissions from concrete and steel and the dependency created by financing a wind farm, refers to green fraud as in Al Gore's example, and emphasizes that the Reform Party keeps people dependent, and that creating wealth in Ida-Virumaa through oil shale would have revived the economy.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Hussar presented a brief plea: "Mart Helme, please!"
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme claims that Rail Baltica is a major corruption and money-laundering project, where subsidies are distributed mainly between shell companies and one-man firms, billions have already gone, and in fact it doesn't matter how much electricity costs or at what price it is delivered—the main thing is that the money flows.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler notes that in the wind energy sector many are interested only in money and profit, and the social cost doesn't matter to them, and he recalls the background of Germany's Energiewende, where an elderly German gentleman patted the younger man on the shoulder and said that money moves through the corridors.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Speaker, Lauri Hussar, invited Mario Kadastik to speak.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kadastik said that the privatization of Kiisa is not planned in the coming years, and regarding oil shale a proper, objective calculation of CO2 costs and capital costs must be performed, because 20–30 is not objectively feasible, and cheap oil shale electricity is not adequate rhetoric.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler stressed that in order to ensure Estonia's energy security, domestic fuels must be used, for example oil shale and wood, because imported gas is twice as expensive and does not bring emission benefits, and we are alone in this field and major powers may hinder our progress.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Hussar announces the opening of the negotiations and that first the representatives of the factions will speak, and asks Mario Kadastik to take the floor on behalf of the Reform Party faction.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
He thanks and, just in case, immediately asks for those extra minutes as well.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asked for three minutes of extra time.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mario Kadastik said that the energy debate must be high-quality and fact-based, represent different viewpoints and involve experts, and in the interests of the state it is necessary to avoid misleading information and to hold an open, objective debate.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
He thanks and informs that, as proposed by the initiator of the discussion, representatives of the factions should speak first, and he invited Anti Poolamets to the lectern on behalf of the EKRE faction.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets thanked the director and asked for three more minutes of extra time.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar requests three more minutes.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets said that the campaign for the green transition and wind farms will bring high electricity prices, the disappearance of heritage landscapes, and costs associated with the dismantling of local governments, which may lead to bankruptcy, and he calls for a sensible, democracy-defending discussion.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair thanked and asked Riina Sikkut to speak on behalf of the Social Democratic Party faction at the Riigikogu's podium.
Riina Sikkut
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Riina Sikkut emphasized that wind energy developments in Estonia should be planned realistically at the local level, that health and environmental impacts should be assessed based on evidence, and that pseudoscientific information should be avoided, because large-scale deployments are only plans and the choices are made together with the community.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asks whether you would like some additional time.
Riina Sikkut
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Riina Sikkut asks for three more minutes.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar proposed adding three minutes.
Riina Sikkut
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Riina Sikkut said that a health study will reveal Estonia's real health data, and that scientifically based information should be shared ethically, and she added that Estonia could in the future cover 100% of its electricity consumption with electricity produced from renewable energy sources if we continue to cooperate with local governments and developers and establish compensation mechanisms, including the development of biogas and wind farms.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair thanked and asked that, on behalf of the Isamaa faction, colleague Riina Solman take the floor at the Riigikogu's rostrum.
Riina Solman
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Riina Solman said that Isamaa advocates investing in renewable energy, but the state must guarantee the public a sense of security and energy security and provide a clear plan for where to place renewable energy, because there is currently no plan and Estonia's consumption must not be covered solely by renewable energy, and she stressed that wind farms should be located in places where there is already economic activity, for example on the Sopi-Tootsi and Lavassaare peat bogs, but county plans create a conflict at the state and local government levels; I am asking for more time.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Speaker Lauri Hussar asked for three more minutes.
Riina Solman
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Riina Solman criticizes that the Estonian state creates a two-handed approach in renewable energy development—on the one hand planning mineral deposits and areas, and on the other hand carrying out a bog restoration program—and proposes a direct-sales option for households from a wind farm at a fixed price, tax exemptions for the area of influence, bringing network charges to zero, and stronger supervision with a complex licensing process, so that renewable energy would be fair competition and would ensure the population's security of supply.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair thanked and then invited his colleague Peeter Ernits to the podium.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Ernits warns that the giant towers planned for the Muraka bog and the Lahemaa region, and offshore wind farm projects, threaten rare birds and heritage landscapes, and are linked to a wealth transfer carried out through multibillion-dollar subsidies, which deserves thorough scrutiny by investigative journalists.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asks whether extra time is desired.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
It's simply a positive answer, expressing the wish to ask for or receive something—"yes, please".
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The focus of the speech is three minutes of extra time.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Ernits criticized the coalition's plan to build onshore wind turbines and fill the mainland, saying that around 200 sites or a little less must be found that would not disturb people, nature, and birds, and he stressed that people are suffering under the current regime and the goal is shared – to improve the lives of Estonian people regardless of party affiliation.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
In conclusion, today's discussion has ended, and the session has also come to an end.