POWERING THE VALLEY - GWEITHGOR DYFFRYN AERON CYF
The concept of Pweru’r Dyffryn (Powering the Valley) was developed by the Gweithgor Dyffryn Aeron cyf. Many members of the Gweithgor are young farmers in the area. They want to not only secure a way of life and affordable energy, but also invest in their future.
The project aims to:
Create a sustainable source of income to develop the local economy of the Aeron Valley
Create a community body to develop local renewable energy sources
Create a source of income for powering the economy of mid Ceredigion
The project activities include:
- Community consultation to understand which renewable energy technologies are favoured by locals, including the scale to which their use is acceptable
- Community consultation to discover the priorities for local people for micro economic development locally
- Stakeholders consultation to discover which corporate and/or community stakeholders would want to be a part of the scheme as providers or property owners
- Research into a range of available technologies with a focus on already viable technology.
- Evaluation of potential technologies that link in with available natural resources based on community opinion and provision of stakeholders
- Research into the potential business structures by developing business/financial models to consult with stakeholders in order to find the most effective structure in relation to the aims of Pweru’r Dyffryn.
The next step for Gweithgor Dyffryn Aeron cyf is the publication of a comprehensive report of the local consultation and its findings for future potential developments. The consultation's early findings include that large scale wind turbines would not be welcome, while there is support for further research as to the potential of waterways and solar power for the generation of local, sustainable energy.
The development of the scheme will be long-term with challenges along the way but Euros Lewis believes to change the lives of the local people and to develop the local economy “that the basic principle is to act for ourselves and this is what we are doing”.
A wide range of people will benefit from this project. Individuals, local businesses, the Dyffryn Area community and surrounding area will all benefit from the scheme. The scheme will enable everyone who wants to develop renewable energy projects to do that with support from Gweithgor Dyffryn Aeron. A proportion of the revenue produced could create an investment fund, which will be available to boost historical businesses and new ones within the community.
To view the engagement report, click here.
This project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.
Further Reading
