The Norton Energy Community

The Origin Energy project to construct a set of wind turbines for the towns of Norton, Campsall & Sutton.

T2A from Ryedale Road Origin Energy is a renewable energy company with a difference. We build and finance wind turbines then return the profits to the community for their use. We are unlike normal wind developers in that we believe that given their own resources, communities can tackle climate change themselves. Owning a wind farm will give the people of the area a chance to do just that.

It is expected that net profits for community use will be between £250,000 and £350,000 per year every year for the first 12 years. Thereafter, profits for community use would be around £600,000 per year. These are substantial amounts which would have a huge impact on the area.

Origin Energy will design, finance, build and operate the turbines on behalf of the community. Origin Energy is a community interest company, a special form of company which means that all profits need to be returned to the community. We believe that the environment can be entrusted to communities who have the right will and sufficient resources.

We believe this is an exciting offer and one has not been made anywhere else. It provides the chance for people to positively take care of their local environment and give them the resources to act for themselves. It is a long term project which aims to be more than just building turbines but will instead be of benefit to both community and environment.

However, we need to know what you think about the proposal. On this website you will find details and plans to able you to do just that. What you will see is the result of the work we have done so far on behalf of the community but we are encouraging contributions on the optimum location of the turbines.

You can also vote for whether you think the scheme should proceed or not. Please visit the "Contact & Vote" link on the left panel.

The term renewable energy means energy that we get naturally from the rhythms of the natural environment

T1a & T2 from west Campsall By sourcing energy from fossil fuels such as oil, gas or coal we increase the amount of carbon and other gases in the atmosphere. The atmosphere acts like the glass in a greenhouse and helps to keep the earth at its ambient temperature. By increasing the amount of carbon through burning fossil fuels for our energy needs we increase the amount of heat retained in the greenhouse. This is having and will continue to have detrimental effects on life on earth.

By producing as much of our energy from renewable sources we have less of an impact on the earth and everyone who shares its resources. Of course it is not the complete answer.We need to also reduce our energy demands.

Wind energy has its part to play in protecting the earth. The technology is simple and modern. The wind causes the blades to rotate and the machinery inside converts the movement to electricity. The energy can be used directly or sold through the National Grid, which is the proposition for Norton.

We've all seen them dotted around the landscape and there are mixed feelings about them. At the moment, the bulk are owned by big energy companies, who take handsome profits from the sale of the energy whilst leaving the community to deal with the turbines. By owning and helping to operate wind turbines, a community can use the profits in many ways to help secure a better future.

Take a look at the pages on this website and see what the proposals are. After the initail consultation last year we are proposing three sites from which only two will be chosen. Many factors wil be considered in order to determine the best two but your opinion is vital in deciding this. You can see details of the revised scheme here then you can give us your opinion on which two you think are best in the voting panel to the left.