COULTER WANTS ALTERNATIVE FUNDING FOR ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Rev Dr Robert Coulter MLA, Ulster Unionist Commissioner at Stormont, today has called for national lottery money to be used to build alternative energy schemes in Northern Ireland .
The North Antrim Assembly member added: “In Scotland , the North Harris Trust (NHT) has received £900,000 which is half the cost of a planned 1.8-megawatt wind turbine development at Monan near Tarbert from the Big Lottery Fund.
“The money will help to buy three wind turbines, seen as vital to the regeneration of the area with estimates of £180,000 in income a year over 12 years which will be re-invested into local projects.
“The Big Lottery Fund has also announced that it is providing £200,000 for another Scottish scheme in Fife to assess the feasibility of a medium-scale wind farm.
“This is a good model for future projects and I believe that big lottery funding should be used for alternative energy projects which have the potential to kick start local regeneration schemes.
“The motto should be – alternative funding for alternative energy,” said Rev Dr Coulter.