Overview

• The Montpellier tribunal has ordered a four-month suspension of 31 turbines at the Aumelas wind farm, citing the deaths of 160 protected birds since 2006.
• EDF Renouvelables and other operators of the Aumelas site face fines totaling €5 million, with individual executives also penalized.
• A one-year shutdown was mandated for the Bernagues wind farm following the death of a royal eagle in 2023, with fines of €200,000 imposed on operator ERL and its manager.
• The Bernagues wind farm also faces demolition after a December 2023 ruling found it lacked a valid construction permit; the operator has appealed to the Cour de cassation.
• These rulings underscore increasing legal and financial risks for wind energy projects, as courts enforce stricter compliance with biodiversity protection laws.