ARTICLES
The countryside swept by the wind and a wind energy plan up in the air
The case of Muras illustrates the complex idiosyncrasies arising from the coexistence of rural populations and wind farms.

A wild horse in front of the wind turbines of a wind farm in Muras (A Mariña), a municipality with 600 inhabitants and the largest number of wind turbines in all of Galicia. (Photo: Brais Lorenzo)

CLÁUDIA MORÁN
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BRAIS LORENZO
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The case of Muras, the Galician municipality with the most wind turbines, illustrates the complex dynamics arising from the coexistence of rural communities and wind farms. Social and environmental criticism from local residents coexists with habit and retains a clear memory of a time when companies would arrive and set up without restrictions. While community groups call for a new wind energy plan that involves local people and respects biodiversity, the courts are halting new projects.