How can communities achieve part ownership of wind farms?

This guidance will be of interest to Community groups as well as Wind developers and Local Authority officers with responsibility for community development.

1) Part ownership of commercially developed wind farms

a) Community part ownership of wind farms

Bankable Models which Enable Local Community Wind Farm Ownership

This report describes practical ways for communities to have part ownership of commercially developed windpower schemes. These are potential models of community ownership in wind farms which are
acceptable to lending institutions, developers and the communities themselves. The intention is that such acceptability will facilitate increased community ownership and help the Government to reach its
renewable energy target by 2010.

The report is not intended to be a guide for communities seeking to raise finance in order to set up a wind farm (other reports of this nature are available). It is intended first and foremost to establish ways to enable local ownership which fit with typical financing structures for commercial wind farm developments.

The Bankable Models report should be read in conjunction with the Delivering Community Benefits report available below

b) Other types of benefit available

Delivering Community Benefits from Wind Energy Development - A Toolkit

2) Communities developing their own wind farms

This is not covered in this guidance. Some information is available from other sources such as -

(NB this is not an exhaustive list, just a few of the possible sources of information)

The Community Renewables Initiative (England only)

http://www.countryside.gov.uk/LAR/Landscape/CRI/index.asp

Ecodyfi (Wales)

http://www.ecodyfi.org.uk/energy/renewables.htm

Action Renewables (Northern Ireland)

http://www.actionrenewables.org/