Interview with Daniel Renaud, mayor of Nizas since 2013, town of 650 inhabitants, Hérault Méditerranée greater metropolitan area.
A quarry at the end of operations, a political will to develop renewable energy in the region, in particular photovoltaic energy, and the search for new resources are all at the origin of the Arnet plateau power plant project. « We had a quarry that had not been in operation since 2008. What would we do with this site that was considered a white zone, without encroaching on agricultural land and without degradation of the environment? It was already decided! The municipal council settled on launching a photovoltaic project on this former quarry with the goal of generating new income sources. It is the joint project of two communities (Nizas and Lézignan-la-cèbe), owners of the land. The environmental constraints meant that Urbasolar had to work on the site only outside of the nest building periods of the Eurasian eagle-owl. Urbasolar went out of their way for this project, used all their resources, and were always available and listening. They are a reliable partner who takes their projects seriously and we already have other projects in progress with them. In retrospect, I know that communities must be able to anticipate development projects well ahead of time. In the heart of the greater metropolitan area, discussions about energy economy, issues of mobility, and the development of renewable energies are being carried out and a climate plan has been launched. Within our community, energy savers have been installed throughout the public lighting network. In regard to photovoltaic energy, there needs to be development throughout the country. Through this operation, we participate in the development of photovoltaic energy and we have gained additional resources for the community’s budget. The project has doubled the installed capacity in the greater metropolitan region. I would advise elected officials to choose the right operator and anticipate administrative and environmental constraints. »