Ridge Clean Energy (RCE) has set out proposals for the Sunny Oaks Renewable Energy Park, an ‘Island first’ hybrid renewable energy project that comes with tangible benefits for the local community, as reported by News OnTheWight in April 2022.
The proposed ~20MW park, situated south-west of Wootton on the Isle of Wight, would pair solar with battery storage. The combination of technologies would deliver efficient, reliable, and stable energy generation.
Community Benefit Fund
The associated Sunny Oaks Community Benefit Fund is also projected to provide a minimum of £10,000 per year for the lifespan of the project (up to 40 years), alongside a development team bringing talent and experience for delivering projects with enduring benefits for communities.
Harrington-Vail: This project will be a positive step forward
Ray Harrington-Vail founder and CEO of The Footprint Trust,
“Now, more than ever the Isle of Wight needs to focus on sustainable development.
“The Footprint Trust fully supports the Sunny Oaks Renewable Proposal by Ridge Clean Energy.
“This project will be a positive step forward in reducing our impact on our planet.”
Glasgow: The most powerful way to tackle climate change
Marjorie Glasgow BEM, co-founder of RCE says,
“We develop each project with the scope to do so much more than generate power. We believe that combining clean energy with the needs of communities is the most powerful way to tackle climate change and its impacts.
“Our local contributions and up-front seed capital go over and above the Community Benefit Fund. We are working with islanders to support the local food sharing network, and efforts to provide assistance in the face of rising energy costs.
“We are also working to create renewable energy industry placements for those who wish to learn more about this field of employment.’’
Murphy: Biodiversity net gain
Jonny Murphy, Sunny Oaks Project Manager, said,
“The Sunny Oaks Renewable Energy Park could help the Isle of Wight adapt to big challenges currently facing communities in the UK – climate change, domestic energy security, and the rising cost of living.
“We’ve worked closely with Island-based technical teams to not only manage impacts, but also to develop a scheme resulting in biodiversity net gain.”
Moderate to poor quality land
Infrastructure would be located on land assessed as moderate to poor quality (not ‘Best and Most Versatile’), that also helps to diversify a local Island business which itself is important to the community.
Ridge Clean Energy held two public exhibitions to engage with local communities in May
View the plans
The application has now been submitted (22/01585/FUL) which can be viewed on the council’s Website.
News shared by Dale on behalf of Ridge Clean Energy. Ed
