Airtricity, Northern Ireland's fastest-growing and greenest energy provider, has presented £64,000 in community funding to local groups from its Community Funds for the Bin Mountain, Tappaghan and Bessy Bell Wind Farms.

During March, Airtricity held a successful Community Fund Information Day in Ederney which was attended by over 50 local councillors and community representatives from across Counties Fermanagh and Tyrone. The following month, Airtricity announced that it had received a record number of applications for funding towards projects promoting local energy efficiency from its 2011/’12 Community Funds.

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In Counties Fermanagh and Tyrone, Airtricity is supplied with green energy from the combined 51.5MW Bin Mountain, Tappaghan and Bessy Bell Wind Farms which are operated by Northern Ireland’s largest renewable energy generator, SSE. Combined, the Bin Mountain, Tappaghan and Bessy Bell Wind Farms produce enough electricity to power over 41,000 homes. The green energy generated at each of the Wind Farms is helping to ensure that Northern Ireland meets its targets of 40% electricity generation from renewables by 2020 and the EU’s mandatory 20% reduction in carbon emissions.

Under Airtricity's Community Fund Program, the company makes a financial contribution from each of its wind farms to help local energy efficiency and sustainability projects. The fund is paid out annually, starting one year after the Wind Farm starts producing electricity and operates for the lifetime of each site.

(CD/GK)