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Who are Community Windpower Ltd (CWL)?

Here are the facts from CWL’s website and Companies House. The directors & shareholders of CWL are Diane and Roderick Wood of Northwich, Cheshire. CWL owns another company, Dalry Community Wind Company Ltd. D and R Wood also own Aikengall Community Wind Company Ltd. Yet another Ltd company, Aikengall Community Wind Company (Holdings) Ltd has 100,000 ordinary shares in Aikengall Community Wind Company Ltd. CWL detail 6 projects on their website. Dalry, 6  turbines. Aikengall, 16 turbines under construction. Inverkip, 10 turbines proposed. Galston, 25 turbines proposed, Davidstow Cornwall, 20 turbines proposed. CWL have signed a 10 year deal with Gaz de France who will purchase the entire output from the Aikengall wind factory when it is built — just imagine the profits CWL are making from this deal... In contrast, the “benefits” to communities where CWL are active mainly consist of small donations to local charities, distribution of lightbulbs and educational aids for schools. For example in Dalry (opened in 2006)  local charity donations have totalled only £2216 and CWL claim that energy saving lightbulbs worth £3,000 (presumably at retail not wholesale value) have been distributed. CWL also say they are “funding” a “carbon neutral project” (to be staffed by local volunteers). They hope to open an “energy advice shop” and say there will be an educational “ranger”. Does this make CWL’s windfarms true “community projects” or is the word “community” a cover for the fact that this is a purely  commercial venture with the sole aim of making an enormous profit? You decide!

Who will gain? From figures provided by the NFU in their document “Wind of Change” dated 19.12.07the minimum income per turbine for the landowners would be £3000 per megawatt, therefore at least £9,000 per turbine per year. The landowners involved in a 12 turbine project on Stainmore would therefore potentially share a minimum of £108,000 pa, almost 3 million pounds over 25 years!