Benfits & Environmental Issues
What are the benefits to the land-owner?
A farmer/landowner can lease his/her land to a developer to erect wind turbines. This can take the form of an annual payment, and/or land rental - typically between 2.5% and 3.5% of electricity sales. This type of arrangement incurs no investment costs on the landowner.
Land rental alone more than compensates any loss of agricultural production, given that a wind turbine occupies such a small amount of land. Wind farming and conventional farming are perfectly compatible and can operate together. At the end of their working life the turbines can be replaced or removed and the land re-instated to its original condition
Why should farmers and rural communities become involved in renewable energy?
Wind energy is a rural resource and benefits include;
- Additional sustainable income
- Alternative use for land
- Diversification of farming activities
- Local educational resource
- Creates local employment
Is wind energy going to be important to the future of rural Ireland?
Rural Ireland has lagged behind the urban areas in its rate of economic development. The agricultural community, in particular, has seen its income drastically cut, with severe knock-on effects for the economic and social fabric of the wider rural community. In this context Meitheal na Gaoithe believes that it is vital that both the agricultural community and the wider community grasps the opportunity that generation and supply of alternative energy provides. Ireland is already at the 13% limit increase over our 1990 figure on greenhouse gas emissions agreed by 2010 under the Kyoto objectives! As it now stands the state is in line for massive penal fines, unless it can quickly replace conventional power generating capacity with non-polluting green alternatives. The source and production of green / alternative energies will of necessity be largely based in rural Ireland.
What are the environmental benefits of wind energy over fossil fuel combustion?
No wastes during operation including none of the following;
- Polluting emissions
- Dust particles
- Refuse / effluent / ash
- Effect on local water / air quality
Each year, for every megawatt of Irish wind energy that displaces fossil fuel power production, environmental benefits includes;
- Clean electricity to meet the electricity needs of 650 homes
- Removes the need to import 6,450 barrels of oil
- The avoidance of 2,700 tonnes of CO2
- The avoidance of 49 tonnes of SO2
- The avoidance of 5.5 tonnes of NOx
- The avoidance of 175 tonnes of slag and ash for landfill
What’s the attitude of the environmental lobby to wind power?
The environmental lobby is in general very supportive of wind power. The Green Party has made frequent statements supporting the development of wind energy in Ireland as an answer to Ireland’s chronic dependence on imported fossil fuels.
How does a Windfarm benefit the local community?
The operator of a wind farm must pay both rates and manufacturing tax. As they are based on the value of the assets these taxes are quite high due to the considerable investment involved in a wind farm. Rates vary from one local authority to another and can be as much as €8,000 per installed MW per year. This source of revenue directly benefits the citizens of the area and is usually distributed through projects in the locality.
Construction jobs can be provided throughout the construction period and road and foundation materials are likely to be sourced locally. When complete, a smaller number of jobs are created through operation and maintenance duties, which are both long-term and sustainable.
Where community schemes are developed, stakeholders (usually limited to those in the wind farm's community) can reap the benefits directly through share divided payments.
