Plans have been announced for the country's largest community wind farm to be developed on Mount Callan in Co Clare.
The project represents an investment of €200m and will be capable of meeting the energy needs of all of Clare and half of Co Limerick.
30 farm families will have the biggest shareholding in the new company - West Clare Renewable Energy - which is driving the project.
They collectively own over 3,000 acres of mostly elevated land on Mount Callan located between Ennis and Miltown Malbay, where it is planned to construct 30, three-megawatt wind turbines.
300 jobs are expected to be provided during the two-and-a-half year construction phase.
Efforts to develop a wind farm in the Mount Callan area have been ongoing for 15 years.
Local landowner John Talty said it is designed to create long-term sustainable employment, reverse depopulation in the area, and help struggling farmers secure an alternative form of income.
The project also meets Government plans to invest in cleaner energy sources.
Ireland is currently 90% dependent on fossil fuels for electricity generation, and spends several billion euro each year on imported fuels.
