Community Benefit Fund
A Community Benefit Fund is proposed with the intention of recognising the contribution communities make when they host a wind farm in their locality. Not every part of the country is suitable to locate a wind farm. Those areas that are suitable, should benefit from doing so, and the Community Benefit Fund is the mechanism by which the local community benefits.
Renewable energy projects such as the proposed Seskin Renewables Wind Farm will have a significant community benefit fund associated with them for wind energy and this contribution is currently set at €2 per megawatt hour (€2/MWhr). For the Seskin Renewables Wind Farm , this could amount to approximately €250,000 per annum, depending on the final number of turbines proposed.
Seskin Renewable Energy Limited is committed to working with the local community and strongly believes in playing a part in contributing to the social, environmental, and economic wellbeing of the communities surrounding the proposed wind farm project.
All citizens living in the vicinity of the project are invited to give feedback on how the fund could be spent to the betterment of their community. Once the fund is open for applications further information will be available on the project website. In the meantime, we invite feedback via the community survey on the project website
Should the proposed development be permitted, it would result in a financial benefit for the local community. The value of this fund would be directly proportional to the electricity generated by the wind farm. The following terms and conditions would apply:
Direct Payments - Direct payment would be made to those living closest to the wind farm, which gradually decrease with distance from the wind farm. The amount paid to each household would depend on the number of houses within varying distances from the wind farm, and the total amount from the Community Benefit Fund allocated to direct payment.
Support for local groups – Local groups, clubs and not-forprofit and community organisations would be able to apply for funding to ensure that people in the wider community (who may not receive direct payments) also get to benefit in some way from the proposed wind farm, through the funding supports that would be made available to benefit local community groups and projects.
Possible Funding Themes
• Education and skills
• Health, safety, and well-being
• Environment and habitat conservation
• Energy efficiency and sustainability
• Culture and heritage
• Recreation, sport, and social inclusion
• Tourism
Community Benefit Fund
Seskin Renewables Wind Farm
The proposed Seskin Renewables Wind Farm once constructed will provide a substantial Community Benefit Fund commensurate to the size of the development. The fund will be open annually for applications and will be in place for up to 15 years. We are interested in hearing how you think this fund would best benefit your community.