Calls to stop wind farm applications in County Galway over community concerns

Speaking at this month's meeting of Galway County Council, she criticised the continued use of wind energy planning guidelines dating back to 2006.

“We are still dealing with the 2006 wind regulations and it is not right,” she said.

“They haven't been updated and it is dividing local communities.”

Cllr Donohue questioned whether Galway County Council could intervene to prevent applications from progressing until the guidelines are updated.

She said the current situation was unfair to residents living close to proposed wind farms.

“It is unfair to be foistering them so close to residential homes,” she said.

“A moratorium is needed until the regulations are done. This would have to come through the Dáil. It is dividing communities and it is terrible.”

Meanwhile, residents in east Galway are continuing to oppose the proposed Coxtown Wind Farm, which would feature six turbines with a combined generating capacity of up to 36 megawatts.

The Coxtown Protection Committee represents residents in Mullagh, Kiltormer and Cappataggle who are opposed to the development.Committee member Francis Hardiman has also raised wider concerns about the need for more onshore wind farms and their cost to electricity customers.

Mr Hardiman believes the cost of wind energy deserves closer examination before further developments are approved.

He highlighted a 2025 report by the Irish Academy of Engineering, entitled 'Rebalancing Ireland's Energy Policy' which identifies problems with Ireland's renewable energy policy.

The report criticised a “lack of coherence” in the policies, guidelines and laws governing renewable energy developments.

It said conflicting policies, a lack of clarity and delays in updating regulations were among the biggest obstacles facing major energy projects.

The report also examined wind curtailment, an issue Mr Hardiman believes deserves greater public attention.

“Curtailment is costing everyone,” he said. “It is ridiculous. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) should be publishing figures more often and more frequently.

“The more turbines that go up the more curtailment to be paid. The grid can't handle the existing renewables.”

Curtailment occurs when wind farms are told to produce less electricity when the grid cannot safely handle all the electricity being produced.

In other cases, there may not be enough capacity on the grid to carry the electricity from wind farms to where it is needed.

The Irish Academy of Engineering report found that 10.1 per cent of available wind energy was not used in 2024 because of these restrictions.

Of this, five per cent was curtailed to help keep the electricity system stable, while a further 5.1 per cent was not generated because of limits on the electricity network.

Mr Hardiman has called for greater transparency about these costs and questioned why more emphasis was not being placed on offshore wind farms.

The impact of turbines on nearby homes is another concern raised by the committee, particularly the issue of noise.

Mr Hardiman has highlighted comments from Dr Eoin King, a lecturer at the University of Galway's School of Engineering, about the distance between wind turbines and residential properties.

Dr King said the draft 2019 wind energy guidelines, which have yet to be finalised, recommend a minimum distance of four times the height of a turbine.

However, he said this was “mainly for visual amenity rather than noise”.

“Distance does not automatically guarantee protection so the setback needs to be considered alongside site specific assessments of noise,” he told Mr Hardiman.

Meanwhile, Cllr Geraldine Donohue raised the issue of the dormant Derrybrien wind farm once again at this month's meeting of Galway County Council.

Speaking afterwards to the Connacht Tribune, she said that a new wind farm “doesn't make sense when Derrybrien is turned off”.

The wind farm, which includes 70 turbines, has been out of operation since 2022 following legal and planning issues after a peat landslide at the site more than two decades ago.

The site was previously capable of generating enough electricity to power an estimated 55,000 homes.

“With the flick of a button they could be turned back on,” she said previously.

“We are talking constantly about energy costs, energy security and climate targets, yet 70 turbines are sitting idle in one of the windiest parts of the country. We can't talk out of both sides of our mouths.”

The Derrybrien controversy dates back to 2003 when a major peat slide during construction caused significant environmental damage.

“We are proposing new wind farms across the country, often in areas where communities are divided over them, while this infrastructure is already standing,” she said.

The developer of the Coxtown Wind Farm says the project would help Ireland meet its renewable energy targets, reduce dependence on fossil fuels and bring investment to the local area.

“This development will provide a significant contribution to achieving the country’s renewable energy targets and assist in reducing Ireland’s dependency on fossil fuels,” they said.

“The proposed development will generate direct and indirect local jobs and provide investment in the area through local authority rates/contributions and a community benefit fund will be made available to fund local initiatives as decided by the local community.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme