Investments in wind power generators are a great way to support smaller municipalities around Bulgaria, according to Tsonko Tsonev, mayor of the Black Sea town of Kavarna.

“The operation of the wind power parks in the Kavarna Municipalities creates employment, produces environment-friendly energy, and on top of everything else contributes revenue that we then use for social projects,” Tsonev stated during a seminar dedicated to the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy of the EU in the northeastern city of Dobrich.

The establishment of wind power parks along Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast in the northeastern part of the country over the last 3-4 years has been both welcomed by businessmen and local authorities, and severely criticized by environmentalists and even tourist operators over allegedly generating higher radiation levels and hurting migrating birds.

Tsonev, however, is convinced of the benefits of the large-scale wind energy parks. He pointed out that so far in 2010 one of the companies operating such a park in the Kavarna Municipality gave BGN 120 000 to the local authorities as a grant, while another one contributed BGN 156 000. The Mayor vowed to spend some of the aid to buy an x-ray for the local hospital.

“We have received up to BGN 400 000 per year from aid provided by wind park operators. We expect to raise BGN 300 000 in 2010 only from the local taxes of the these companies. Last year we generated BGN 3 M with one single deal for the construction a wind park,” Tsonev said pointing to Spain and other countries as examples about the many benefits of developing renewable energy sources.

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