15 Sep 2008 05:09:52
Farmers can buy-into largest renewables firm
Farmers are being invited to invest in what organisers say will be Europe's biggest energy company.
Dr Maitland Mackie, chairman of ice cream manufacturer Mackies of Scotland, has called on 10,000 farmers to invest at least £1,000 each in a company that would give them a chance to take the profits from wind generation.
Under his plans, reported in Farmer Weekly Interactive, the company would attract a total of £270 billion over 12 years, in which it would install 90,000 3MW wind generators and create 90GW of electricity.
He billed the project, provisionally called the Rural Sector Wingen, an opportunity for farmers to get a slice of the money going into renewables.
"I view this as a huge opportunity for the whole rural community to share in the massive profits which renewable energy is already delivering to big business," Dr Mackie said.
"The 'buy-in' by farmers, landowners and other rural dwellers will allow profits to be delivered back to rural communities in share dividends, rather than into the hands of City entrepreneurs. It is also hoped to offer early rural investors substantive discounts on their electricity usage."
As well as helping farmers and rural communities benefit from massive investment in renewables, the plan could help the UK achieve targets of generating 15 per cent of energy from renewable sources by 2020.