Referendum in Herrenberg: wind turbines or nature conservation? Vote!

Referendum in Herrenberg: wind turbines or nature conservation? Vote!

There is an important referendum coming up in the Herrenberg region. On July 13, 2025, citizens are called upon to vote on the future of wind turbines in their area. The subject of the vote is the question of whether or not the leasing of municipal forest areas to wind turbine operators should be avoided. In this context, a citizens' initiative in Herrenberg has already collected 2,114 signatures for the citizens' petition, which underlines the importance of this topic. Herrenberg, with its around 34,000 inhabitants, has dealt intensively with the topic of wind energy and expects a minimum annual income of 250,000 euros from a wind farm.

This income could, for example, be used to finance 40 daycare places or to support local sports clubs, which illustrates the potential economic benefits of using wind power. In February of this year, the local council determined the admissibility of the citizens' petition and decided on the procedure after an intensive dialogue had already taken place between the city administration and the citizens. There were several citizen information events on the topic in order to take the population's concerns and questions seriously.

Citizens' decision and information offers

The referendum will decide whether the city of Herrenberg will make urban land available for wind turbines. As the city website informs, it should be noted that a voter turnout of at least 20 percent is required for a binding result. If citizens vote “yes,” this means a rejection of the wind power projects, while a “no” signals approval.

Together with the neighboring towns of Calw, Gechingen and Wildberg, a wind farm called “Lindenrain” is being developed, which affects the properties in Gültlingen and Sulz. The number of wind turbines in the Lindenrain area between five and eight is up for debate. To ensure residents are well informed, the city is planning several measures, including a brochure for all households and continuous updates on the city website. In addition, another citizen information event is planned for July 3, 2025 in the town hall.

Neighboring cities and resistance

In Wildberg, resistance to the wind turbines has formed, and an initiative is pushing for its own referendum against the wind turbines. This illustrates the broad discussion and the different views on the subject of wind energy in the region. The planned distance between the wind turbines and Gültlingen is around two kilometers, and Stammheim and Holzbronn are 1.0 and 1.5 kilometers away from the planned wind farm.

An information fair about the Lindenrain wind farm will take place on July 7th at the Maria-von-Linden-Gymnasium in Calw-Stammheim. The city of Herrenberg emphasizes that dialogue with citizens and transparent decision-making are of great importance for the local council. The upcoming decisions on the use of wind power will have far-reaching consequences for the municipality and its residents.