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Share in wind energy - community ownership at Westmill windfarm
11 November
2005
Westmill Wind Farm Co-operative Ltd will give people an opportunity to invest in a clean renewable
future by buying a share in this community wind energy project.
The windfarm, which has planning permission on a former airfield in Watchfield, South Oxfordshire,
will be one of the first 100% community-owned windfarms in the UK. The co-operative plans to
finance the purchase and construction of five 1.3 MW wind turbines through a £3.7m fundraising
campaign that will see the public able to buy shares in the project. The turbines are expected to
become operational during 2006 and will provide enough electricity to power more than 2,500 average
homes.
Shares in the windfarm are available to anyone across the UK, minimum investment is £250 and the
maximum is £20,000. People living within a 50 mile radius of the site will be given priority if
the scheme is over-subscribed. For more information or to register for the share issue visit
www.energy4all.co.uk.
The windfarm is the brainchild of the landowner, organic farmer Adam Twine. See Adam's
blog to explore his journey to make Westmill windfarm
a reality. It will be run by Energy4All, set up in 2002 to facilitate the ownership and operation
of renewable energy projects by local or community based co-ops.
Westmill will be based on the highly successful windfarm run in Cumbria by
Baywind Energy
Co-operative Ltd. Set up in 1996, Baywind is the UK's
first and largest community-owned energy project, run entirely by its 1,300 members who receive
an annual interest rate of about 7% gross.
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