REVEALED: How much Offaly County Council received in commercial rates from wind farms in 2024

WIND farms were responsible for over 18% of all Offaly County Council rates payments in the last year despite the county producing just below 4% of Ireland’s wind energy in 2023,

These details are contained in a recently launched Wind Energy Ireland interactive website, providing a comprehensive comparison of wind energy production and the associated benefits across the 26 counties of the Republic.

The 'County Colours' platform offers users detailed insights into each county's wind energy contributions. The breakdown also highlights the carbon emissions savings facilitated by local wind farms, and the important economic contribution wind farms make in their localities via community benefit funds and the commercial rates paid to their county council

In 2023, wind energy supplied 35% of Ireland's electricity, underscoring its significance in Ireland's energy mix. The new website breaks down this figure, county by county, allowing users to explore county-specific data.

Kerry led wind energy generation in 2023, generating an impressive 1,664 GWh of energy, followed by Cork with 1,421 GWh and Galway with 833 GWh. A single gigawatt-hour (GWh) is the same amount of power consumed by around 230 Irish families every year,

Offaly produced 513 GWh, some 3.53% of the country’s wind energy for the year. Despite what may seem a relatively low percentage, Offaly County Council received over €3 million in rates payments from windfarms – 18% of all rates payments to the council.

Welcoming the launch of the new platform, Noel Cunniffe, CEO of Wind Energy Ireland, said: "This platform empowers communities, policymakers and industry stakeholders to understand and appreciate the substantial contributions of each county to our national renewable energy goals. It also highlights the substantial economic benefits associated with wind generation, via County Council rates and community benefit funds."

As Ireland aims to achieve 80% renewable electricity by 2030, Mr Cunniffe highlighted the necessity for continued investment and supportive policies to maintain momentum in the wind energy sector:

"We've made significant strides in our wind energy transition. Counties that have generated large amounts of Ireland's wind energy output should take pride in this achievement. However, we still have a significant way to go.

“The County Colours dashboard shows that there is a high-level variance across the 26 counties in terms of their wind energy output. Some counties generate a high percentage of our wind energy, while others generate none. This also means that for many counties there are still significant opportunities to play their part in generating Ireland’s clean energy and avail of the benefits for their county.

Explore the new interactive platform here: Website Link
https://windenergyireland.com/about-wind/the-basics/facts-stats