Gigha to opt out by harvesting wind power

Published on Wednesday 6 October 2004 00:10

THE Isle of Gigha is currently undertaking a programme to create Scotland’s first community-owned wind farm, with huge economic and social benefits for the island.

Gigha is one of Scotland’s most beautiful islands and its economy is boosted by a healthy number of tourists. It is also owned by its citizens, with the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust in charge of affairs on the island. It has initiated the development of the windfarms, which will supply more than two-thirds of the energy on the island by this December.

When the windmills are in operation, the Trust will link up to the Grid and sell the power produced to a utility company.

In the future, there are even plans for the Trust to become a direct supplier of energy to the island, which would greatly reduced the power bills of its citizens.

Alan Hobbett, the community development manager of the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust, believes that, even although they will need to sell the energy to a third party, the economic and social advantages for those living on the island will be huge.

He said: "All the money that is raised from selling to a utility company will go back into the island and have great advantages for the economy.

"There are also major environmental advantages, with power being supplied in less environmentally sensitive ways. It also guarantees sustainable utilities.

"North Sea oil may well run out but we’ll never have the same problem with wind."