Intermediation

In both the national and international research the role of expert enabling intermediaries emerged as a critical factor in determining the success and degree of social support for wind energy. In the research, intermediary actors offered a range of supports and services such as technical and financial support, facilitation and liaison, and negotiation and mediation, which we broadly label here as ‘intermediation’. These actors are often seen as the trusted source of expertise and influential guide to best practice and means of building capacities in communities and developing a consistent service across locations.

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The services and supports are normally tailored to the needs of communities, local authorities, or other key actors. In most cases, the supports were more than guidance and acted as a very real stimulus for development. This section provides a number of examples drawing on the international and national research carried out by SLR:

 Danish Wind Turbine Task Force: This task force works with state and municipalities. It employs five people and is based in the Nature Agency within the Department of the Environment in Copenhagen. It is a small but agile task force that operates as a ‘travelling team’. It does not work directly with communities. It helps around two-thirds of all municipalities every year. Its activities include the provision of information and advice (technical and planning) directly to municipalities; helps with the identification of suitable wind sites; provision of advice on running public meetings; and the research and piloting of different types of stakeholder engagement. It also provides a ‘one stop shop’ website.

 Community Energy Scotland: Scotland’s national community energy charity provides practical help for communities on green-energy development and energy conservation.

 CARES (Scotland): The Community and Renewable-Energy Scheme is administered by Local Energy Scotland, a consortium made up of the Energy Saving Trust (EST), Changeworks, the Energy Agency, SCARF and the Wise Group. CARES provides free, impartial advice to communities, rural businesses and land managers, including support to access grant and loan-funding. It provides tailored support in terms of feasibility, financing, community equity, community benefit and project development through Local Energy Scotland partnerships dedicated to enabling community and local uptake of renewable-energy projects. It offers community grants and innovation and infrastructure funding, and also facilitates payment of community benefits. Its loans scheme has offered 42 projects funding of £4m, which will produce 56MW of renewable energy. A further £28.5m will be available over next three years. CARES is viewed by the OECD as an example of good practice (OECD, 2012).

 Clearingstelle (Germany)46: This organisation works with grid operators and operators running plants. Its role—defined by Section 57 of the Renewable Energy Sources Act—is to act as intermediary or facilitator between stakeholders. Its remit is to settle any disputes and issues of application arising under the Act with wider stakeholders. Its options include mediation, joint dispute resolution and arbitration. In addition, it provides general advice on how to apply the provisions of the Act and anticipates any problems.

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 Process Facilitator: In the Netherlands and Canada, a neutral intermediary or process facilitator has been developed to improve communication as well as arbitrate in wind-energy disputes (Huber & Horbaty, 2012).

At national level in Ireland, some of SEAI’s work does link national plans and local activity. For the most part it provides more guidance than active intermediation. The type of expert enabling intermediation evident in these international cases is more in evidence in local or regional organisations in Ireland. For example:  Local Energy Agencies: In Ireland, there are now 14 local energy agencies,

including the Northern Ireland Energy Association.47 Energy agencies vary in scope and scale and in their level of engagement with local communities. The Tipperary Energy Agency (TEA) was established in 1998 by the Tipperary Local Authorities and the then Tipperary Institute as an independent not-for-profit limited company. TEA provides technical and financial support for communities/co-operatives wishing to develop wind farms. It also provides energy education and information to the general public. In the case of Templederry Wind Farm, it demonstrated the power of having a technically and financially capable support for communities/co-operatives to engage in of wind farming. Another example is Codema, the largest energy agency for the Dublin area.48

 WDC: The Western Development Commission is a statutory body set up in 1998 to promote social and economic development in the western region (Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Roscommon, Galway and Clare). Its roles include developing projects in renewable energy, and providing loans. Killala Community Wind Farm Ltd was developed by a community group assisted by WDC.

 Wexwind: This company supports communities, in Wexford and surrounding areas, which are interested in wind-energy development. It does do through the provision of technical, legal and financial support and by generally promoting local engagement with an emphasis on community benefit.