Gąski is one of the most popular tourists' destination on Polish coast for its beautiful beaches and nature, aiming at sustainable development.[3]
Nuclear power station
As a result of intense civic mobilisation, a referendum was held in February 2012, in which 94% of the citizens of Mielno voted against the building of a nuclear power station in the village of Gąski. The citizens' protest had been supported by members of two biggest parliamentary political groups (otherwise supportive for nuclear power): Civic Platform (Koszalin MP Marek Hok) and Law and Justice (Koszalin MP Czesław Hoc),[4] as well as non-parliamentary Green Party[5] and councillors of nearby city of Kołobrzeg. "Ecological Kołobrzeg" association also supported protests in 2012.[6]
Despite the protests and referendum results, the Polish government still insists on the location of NPP in Gąski,[7] although the entire Polish nuclear programme is on a 7-year delay (as of 2015).[8] The first NPP is now planned not earlier than 2027 (the initial plan was 2020 and the government related its construction to goals of 2020 climate-energy package of the EU). In June 2016, state-owned energy company PGE EJ1 announced that it had withdrawn from the NPP project in Gąski.[9]
Green Institute Foundation supports Gąski and Mielno to develop its own renewable energy capacity (prosumer, co-operative or communal) co-organising "Energy democracy" campaign together with Mielno authorities.[10][11]