A GREEN energy entrepreneur has backed community ownership as the way forward for wind developments, as four island crofting townships prepare for a court battle with Stornoway Trust and Lewis Wind Power.
Steve McDonald, who co-founded Sgurr Energy which he then sold to Wood Group, advises companies all over the world on how to develop and build wind farms.
Projects include Beinn Ghrideag — Point and Sandwick Trust’s community-owned wind farm just outside Stornoway — and Steve believes this award-winning wind farm, which puts 100 per cent of its profits back into the local community, is ‘the perfect model’ of development. Steve said: ‘I’m a big supporter of community schemes because it keeps the money in the Highlands.’