Original Coverage & Source Attribution: midlothianview.com
Thursday October 8th 2026
Whitelaw Brae wind farm
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
A Borders village risks missing out on a fair share of renewable energy profits thanks to a “tokenistic” benefits system, it has been claimed.
Campaigners have highlighted the issue following a question in Holyrood by Borders Liberal Democrat MSP Duncan Dunlop.
The South Scotland MSP pressed the Scottish Government on how communities like Tweedsmuir receive a “fair and lasting” share of the profits from onshore wind developments.
Our Power, which campaigns for greater community, municipal, and public ownership of renewable energy, said the current system of optional community benefit payments left communities short-changed.
The Tweedsmuir community is set to receive a community benefit fund of £285,000 per year from the Whitelaw Brae wind farm.
Meanwhile, the proposed Oliver Forest Wind Farm has committed to providing a Community Benefit Fund of up to £252,000 per year to Tweedsmuir.
Liam Hainey, spokesperson for the Our Power Campaign, said: “It’s understandable that communities feel frustrated when renewable energy infrastructure goes up around them while the profits go elsewhere.
“The current system allows developers to get away with making tokenistic, optional, payments but ministers need to make sure that far more of the money made off the back of our renewable energy stays in Scotland and benefits our communities.
“The ongoing transition to renewables is an enormous opportunity for all of us but right now we’re missing out; the Scottish Government needs to use its substantial powers to support more community, municipal, and public ownership of renewable energy projects so that we all get a fair share of our renewable wealth.”
Our Power is calling on the Scottish government to make sure people in Scotland get a fair share of our energy wealth.
The campaign brings together Scottish communities, workers and organisations to raise the ambition of the next government and create a fairer energy system in Scotland, one that makes us all better off.
All the changes we are calling for are practical, popular and in the power of the Scottish government.
Members of the Our Power coalition include: Community Energy Scotland, Future Economy Scotland, Community Land Scotland, Friends of the Earth Scotland, Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, Platform and Uplift.
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