Yellow River Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund committee members, SSE and Offaly Local Development Company staff (L–R): Richard Whelan, Vicky Boden, Sarah Kennedy, Eugene Mulligan, Karen Heavey, Annette Duffy, Maureen Byrne, Breda Fennessy, Carol Glennon, Paul Smith, Jacqueline Durnin.

Yellow River Benefit Fund opens for local community applications

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The inaugural Yellow River Community Benefit Fund, launched by SSE Renewables, is aimed at providing support to communities surrounding the Yellow River Wind Farm, located outside Rhode.

Developed in line with the Government’s Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS), the Yellow River Community Benefit Fund will contribute €2 per megawatt hour of renewable electricity generated. This is expected to provide a significant annual fund to support local initiatives.

Eligible applicants include not-for-profit groups operating within a 10km radius of a Yellow River Wind Farm, with priority given to those within 5km.

The fund offers two streams of support. The Local Community Fund is designed to assist small-scale, grassroots initiatives that make a difference locally, while the Major Projects Fund focuses on large-scale projects with long-term impact.

The fund is designed to support community projects that address local challenges through innovative solutions aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on supporting initiatives that promote quality education, clean energy, sustainable communities, and climate action.

The Yellow River Community Benefit Fund will open for applications on Monday, January 12, and close at 5pm on Monday, March 2.

To support prospective applicants, an information workshop will be held in person on Monday, January 26 at Rhode GAA Hall and Tuesday, January 27 at Rochfortbridge Community Centre in County Westmeath.

An online information workshop will then follow on Wednesday, February 4. To register for a workshop, please email yellowrivercbf@sse.com.

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