Minister for Energy, Pat Rabbitte T.D., today officially opened Ireland's first community owned wind farm in Templederry, Co. Tipperary.

Templederry Community Wind Farm counts students, farmers and a local priest amongst its owners. The group is now producing green electricity and selling it to the grid, producing approximately 15GWh per annum. This is enough to power 3,500 houses or the equivalent of the local town of Nenagh.

In welcoming the community-led development Minister Rabbitte said: "I commend the local community here in Templederry for their initiative and resolve in successfully establishing Ireland's first community-owned wind farm. Developed and owned by ordinary members of the local community this enterprise is already streaming benefits in the form of dividends into the local community. This project demonstrates the potential of local communities to harness their own local resources for their own benefit as well as contributing to important national goals – Ireland has signed up to demanding commitments at EU level and beyond as to the use of green energy in our overall energy mix. This development here in Templederry will assist us in reaching our green energy targets."

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The Minister went on to commend the Tipperary Energy Agency and Tipperary LEADER for their ongoing support of the initiative in its long road to fruition – a feasibility study took place as far back as 1999.

The Minister also drew a distinction between this type of initiative which produces electricity for domestic consumption and the separate question of developing renewable energy for export. He commented: "I recently announced that I am putting in place a clear national planning policy context for Renewable Energy Export. This will guide An Bord Pleanála when considering any proposals of a significant scale for wind energy export projects. The framework, which will be based on a Strategic Environmental Assessment, will be prepared over the coming year or so and will provide an opportunity for all stakeholders including local authorities, potential project developers and local communities to be consulted and have an input into the national policy for wind export."

(CD/JP)