By ratifying the protocol of Kyoto in 1997, France committed itself to the international plan reducing greenhouse gas emissions. One aspect of this treaty deals with the use and the development of renewable energy sources such as wind power generation.

The Loire Atlantique region, in the West of France is committed to this development effort. Although,  it has currently only two wind mill farms under operation (in Erbray-Sudan and Derval-Lusanger), the region hopes  to make up this delay in the near future. At least sixty projects of installation of wind mills are currently being studied and more than 110 building permits have already been granted.

A project of wind mills is underway in La Chapelle-sur-Erdre, in close proximity to the city of Nantes. It is still too early to know the number and the size of the windmills. Studies are currently being carried out on two sites: Les Harmonnières and Le hameau des Quatre-vents. Although the final choice has not been made yet, several reports have stated that the site of Harmonnières is the most likely to be favoured since negotiations with the private owners being conclusive.

Dossier finalized this summer:

The wind mills must be established in 2010-2011. According to a regulation of July 2007, this project must be integrated in the wind development area (ZDE) that Nantes metropolis sets up. After this stage, and the end of the studies, the Chaplain project will be finalized for this summer.