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Detailed studies will initially examine the Council's smallholding estates across the county as potential locations for wind turbines to generate electricity. Future projects could also investigate other forms of renewable energy such as solar power.  Any installations would be privately run and funded but the power generated would be used either to supply the Council's own needs, at reduced cost, or to be fed into the national grid to provide income for the Council.

County Councillor Carl Les, Executive Member for Corporate Affairs, said:
"Climate change threatens the world and we need to act now to deal with it. We must reduce CO2 emissions, much of which results from burning fossil fuels to produce electricity. While we must all try to reduce our use of electricity, generating it using renewable resources such as the wind, will also reduce CO2 emissions.

"If any potential sites are identified the County Council will take great care to ensure that any turbines are installed only on appropriate sites and deliver real benefits to the areas in which they are built.  Each case will be individually considered, on its merits, and subject to a rigorous planning process. A detailed public consultation will take place to ensure that the community has a say in how any future development proceeds."

Last year the Government invested £10 million in PfR to develop projects that generate green electricity for public sector organisations to use themselves or to deliver to homes and businesses around the country.  It is anticipated that in due course the projects will generate 500 megawatts of renewable energy - equivalent to 250,000 houses at zero carbon cost to the environment, a potential saving of 175,000 to 190,000 tonnes of carbon each year.