Knockower Wind Farm (16 turbines, at a huge 145 metres, totalling 48MW) has recently been proposed by Community Windpower Ltd for the eastern shores of Loch Doon. It is in the scoping stage (i.e. they haven’t yet applied for planning permission). If and when they do apply for permission, it will be to Dumfries and Galloway Council in the first instance.
Community Windpower Ltd (CWL) was formed in 2001 and is an independent UK company. They have four operational wind farms; Dalry in North Ayrshire (18 MW), Aikengall in East Lothian (48 MW), Millour Hill (18 MW) (extension to Dalry) and Calder Water in South Lanarkshire (39 MW). They have planning permission for three more, which will increase their portfolio to 286 MW of wind energy projects.
Although the word “community” features very large in their documentation, they are a profit-making renewables company whose proposals for “community benefit” are not radically different from those of any of the other major players in the renewables industry. As yet they have no particular proposals for the community benefits which will accrue from Knockower, other than that they will be “offering educational presentations throughout the design, construction and operational phases of the proposed development. These educational presentations will also be made available to other community groups in the area such as after school clubs, and local adult groups.” So that’s alright then.
The scoping document is available here as a PDF (7Mb): Knockower-windfarm-scoping
Save Straiton for Scotland 
Advertising to school-children somehow makes this a ‘community’ project.
Incredible that these companies are allowed to go into schools to promote themselves, especially as wind turbines are now a key political argument.
A wind turbine company rep did a presentation at my friends’ childrens’ school in Falkirk. Surely this practice must stop. Is there anything we could do about this as a group?