Building a greener future together
Future Energy
Last month, Storm Bert swept across Ireland causing widespread chaos. Severe flooding impacted homes and businesses, leading to landslides, power cuts and road closures. The clean-up will cost millions of euro. Scientific evidence shows that increasingly frequent and severe weather events such as Storm Bert are a direct consequence of climate change, and their intensity is only set to grow and become more widespread.
Under the Government’s Climate Action Plan (2024), Ireland must generate 80% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030. At FuturEnergy Ireland, we are committed to playing a vital role in achieving this vision. Our climate action takes the form of projects such as Scart Mountain Wind Farm, near Cappoquin in Co. Waterford.
Ireland spends €1 million an hour buying fossil fuels from other countries. These funds are urgently needed in other areas such as housing, healthcare, education and employment. Projects such as Scart Mountain Wind Farm can strengthen our energy independence and security of supply by providing clean, homemade electricity, which will also lower fuel bills.
FuturEnergy Ireland will submit a planning application for the proposed Scart Mountain Wind Farm to An Bord Pleanála in the coming weeks. As a leading Irish renewable energy company, FuturEnergy Ireland prides itself in developing high-quality, well-designed projects. The planning application follows an extensive community engagement programme during which the project team actively looked for input and feedback from local communities and representatives.
Scart Mountain Wind Farm has the potential to contribute significantly to Ireland’s net-zero ambition, adding an estimated 97MW of clean energy to Ireland’s grid and generating enough renewable electricity to power around 55,600 homes annually. This would equate to roughly all the households in Co. Waterford (based on 2022 Census figures).
If approved and constructed, Scart Mountain Wind Farm will generate significant local benefits. Through the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS), it could contribute approximately €540,000 annually to a Community Benefit Fund for its first 15 years, and over €270,000 annually thereafter, as committed by the developer, amounting to around €12 million over its operational life. Local communities will be empowered to allocate these funds according to local priorities, such as investing in infrastructure, retrofitting, education, recreation and other vital initiatives.
There are other benefits on a local level, including landowner payments, local authority rate contributions and employment opportunities, as well as local services required during the construction stage.
Scart Mountain isn’t just a wind farm —it’s a positive step towards a greener, more sustainable Ireland. It’s a commitment to protecting the environment, reducing carbon emissions, investing in local communities in Co. Waterford and lowering fuel bills. Together, we can make the transition to renewable energy a reality and create a brighter future for generations to come.
For more information or to access our Virtual Exhibition, please visit www.scartmountainwindfarm.ie
For more on FuturEnergy Ireland, please visit www.futurenergyireland.ie
