East Riding of Yorkshire's Development Plan supports wind power in the right locations. We identified this site after a thorough search which found the best sites for wind farms in this area. The turbine layout at Aire & Calder minimises any potential visual effects while remaining technically feasible.

Benefits of the Aire & Calder wind farm:

• Provide job opportunities in the local area
• Provide a community fund towards worthwhile local projects and initiatives
• Generate energy for the estimated equivalent of around 15,000* households a year#  
• Our estimates show that this development could offset approximately 30,000† tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year

Community Engagement

In July 2006 we held public exhibtions in Pollington, East Cowick and Snaith for the local community to find out more about the site. We also took local residents to our wind farm at Out Newton to see it close up and find out how it works. Visitors got the chance to talk to residents about living near to the wind farm and what it's really like.

Economic Benefits

Constructing, operating and maintaining the Aire & Calder Wind Farm will involve an investment into the local and regional economy of about £12m, creating and supporting jobs. In addition to this direct economic benefit a community fund will be set up that is estimated to contribute up to £1m toward worthy local projects and initiatives thereby directly benefiting communities nearest the wind farm.

Supporters of the Aire & Calder Wind Farm

A group of local residents who support the wind farm proposal has formed a group called 'Friends of Aire & Calder Turbines' or 'FACTS'.

* Based on an average annual household energy consumption of 4,700kWh. Source: DECC.
# These figures are based on estimates drawn from modelling data on wind speeds measured in the area. This data has been independently analysed.
† This figure is based on the Government's long term marginal plant figure of 430g CO₂/kWh. Although it is very difficult to predict the exact benefit of a wind farm development, we can be certain that over the course of its lifetime, green electricity from a wind turbine will offset large amounts of CO2 that would have otherwise been produced if that electricity had been generated using fossil fuels such as coal and gas.