Killala in north Co Mayo could have Ireland's first community-operated wind farm within 2½ years.
Eight farming families have established Killala Community Wind Farm Ltd, which plans to input 25 megawatts of energy into the national grid by early 2009. This is enough to electrify 3,000 houses.
In 2002 the Renewable Energy Partnership (REP), which consists of Brí Nua Community Wind Energy Group, Mayo Community Wind Energy Group and the Western Development Commission, began to research the potential of wind energy for communities in the area.
Two years later the commission launched To Catch the Wind,a research publication on community-owned wind energy projects. It had been funded by Sustainable Energy Ireland and was in association with Brí Nua (Donegal) and the Mayo group.
The Western Development Commission focused on identifying "a real project" that would adhere to the principles. The Killala wind farm met the specifications, according to the commission's rural development officer, Bernadette Phelan.
"We are now at the feasibility stage of the project," she said, "which involves measuring the wind and going through the legalities. We have to get planning permission, apply for an ESB grid connection and various licences."
Experts were quoted in To Catch the Windas saying that Ireland has the best renewable energy resources of any EU state.