A new wind farm is being proposed two kilometres northeast of Llanbrynmair, making it the second wind farm to be announced in the vicinity this week.

The latest application is from Renewable Energy Systems Ltd (RES) to build 15 wind turbines creating Llanbrynmair Wind Farm on the hilltops between Pandy Road and Dolwen.

The proposal is a revised version of a project which had received planning consent in 2021 for 30 turbines.

Last week residents received letters informing them of the revised plans for the site which would host 230-metre tall turbines and power approximately 110,000 homes a year.

The change of plans will allow the site to produce three times more energy than the previous 30-turbine scheme thanks to new technology.

RES writes: “The project could create a significant economic boost to the local economy whilst providing a vital contribution to Wales’ target of generating all electricity from renewable sources by 2035.

“RES has a proven track record of working closely with the local supply chain around its projects and maximising inward investment opportunities.

“During the construction of Garreg Lwyd Wind Farm in Powys, RES appointed a local civil engineering company resulting in the project generating £15m inward investment.”

RES plans to launch a public consultation in the new year, aiming to submit a revised planning application next winter.

Esgair Ddu Energy Park was also announced as a new proposal this week, to sit on the west side of the valley to the Llanbrynmair wind farm.

This proposal by GALILEO Empower is for 13 turbines between Cwmllinau and Dinas Mawddwy.

The Esgair Ddu wind farm would sit directly north of Cemmaes Wind Farm which already exists, hosting 18 turbines.

If both projects went ahead, 46 wind turbines would line the Pandy Road valley.

This comes as Welsh Government vowed to fast-track green energy development decisions.

In mid-October Wales’ economy secretary Rebecca Evans agreed a deal with Wales’ renewable energy industry to accelerate planning decisions, hoping to drive economic growth.

She underlined local council planning departments having been ‘stripped back’ due to austerity, adding: “For their part, I expect the sector to support our ambitions for local ownership and the development of skills and investment in our communities, including the environment…

“Wales has its place in history using our natural resources to power the industrial revolution but we enter a new era where the power we need across our economy and wider society supports a new industrial transformation for our economy and communities.”

Glantwymyn County Councillor Elwyn Vaughan commented that this political shift has made a more favourable environment for renewable energy developments, combined with a potential upgrade to the National Grid in mid-Wales which was a previous stumbling block for wind farm proposals in the area.

However, not everyone is happy with the influx of wind farm proposals for north Powys.

Llanbrynmair resident Joe Purches said: “It's not about having wind turbines but it’s about having too many wind turbines concentrated in one area, namely Powys. We have enough!”

Despite some considering them an ‘eyesore’, one resident whose house would back onto the Llanbrynmair development spoke out in favour of the project.

She declined to be named after a recent private wind turbine proposal caused physical fights on her road between neighbours: “I believe we need to invest more in green ways of generating electricity to move away from ways which contribute to climate change and are incredibly harmful to our children’s health.

“I would like to see us making more moves to create clean energy and as such I welcome the proposal for more turbines.

“One of the reasons that people cite for not liking wind turbines is that they ruin the landscape.

“I think they are quite beautiful to look at because they are a symbol of us trying to do better.”

However resident who did not want to be named said: “How many is enough?

“Why [are the turbines] so high that they have to have beacons on them and ruin the nighttime view, too?

“If we need them we should have them but locals directly impacted should receive direct compensation for the life of the project.”

Though compensation hasn’t been mentioned by RES, it has been suggested in the proposal across the valley.

Egair Ddu Energy Park is a new wind farm for 13 wind turbines at 230 metres tall each.

The site would be directly north of the Cemmaes Wind Farm on what is currently moreland grazing, and would feature not only turbines but ground-level solar panels.

The use of solar panels would appease Llanbrnymair Alan Hill’s criticism, asking “why we need more [turbines] when the nearby Carno turbines were stationary for weeks during ‘summer’?”

However as he correctly points out, each turbine reaches an impressive height – 230m equating to the Angel of the North standing on top of Nelson’s Column on top of Blackpool Tower.

Unlike the Llanbrynmair Wind Farm, the Esgair Ddu site is not on an area of land pre-assessed by the Welsh Government as having potential for wind energy development.

Energy company GALILEO Empower is currently hosting public consultations to gain feedback from residents, including two in-person consultations in mid-November.

The farm would produce power for up to 75,000 homes, generating up to 91 megawatts of energy.

In exchange, GALILEO proposes to offer £5,000 for a community wealth fund per megawatt made per year, amounting to up to £455,000 annually.

Due to the size of the proposed development the planning application, which Galileo expects to submit in 2026, won’t be submitted to Powys County Council but to the Welsh government’s Planning and Environment Decisions Wales.

Considering the Welsh Government’s push for green investments, however, resident Laura Lewis is sceptical the public consultations will amount to anything: “We’re surrounded by the damned things - an eyesore and not green energy in the slightest.

“It will be a done deal, and our opinions won’t matter as usual.”

Though her accusation about turbines not producing green energy isn’t accurate – wind power has contributed to a 40 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions from the power sector since 1990.

And wind power is growing in significance - in the first quarter of 2023, wind power overtook energy produced by natural gas for the first time.

Due to the considerable profits the energy companies are in line to make through such developments, one Aberangell resident suggests the ‘community wealth fund isn’t enough: “The community should have part ownership and a community investment model that runs in perpetuity.”

Nationally, the UK boasts the world's biggest offshore wind capacity, featuring the world's largest offshore wind farm off the coast of Yorkshire.

But UK onshore windfarms are three times as common – hosting 500 offshore, and 1,500 on shore.

Considering Wales is the second smallest country in the kingdom, it packs a windy punch, hosting 998 onshore wind turbines.

However Scotland outstrips Wales’, boasting 4,464, compared to England’s 1,999 and Northern Ireland’s 1,302.

Wales is known to have a higher onshore ‘wind load factor’ than Scotland (the measure of how much a wind farm’s total capacity is used over time), and by some measurements, the highest in the UK.