LA LUZETTE wind farm
A CITIZEN WIND FARM
- A strong partnership between developer and land
- 180 residents became stakeholders of their farm
- Local businesses for construction
The project
La Luzette wind farm was commissioned in July 2016. To the west of Monts du Cantal, the site extends along a forest ridge path separating the municipalities of Sousceyrac-en-Quercy (Lot) and Saint-Saury (Cantal). The installation of the wind farm was an opportunity to rehabilitate the botanical trail, with the assistance of the National Forests Office. The Sousceyrac-en-Quercy communal forest now offers visitors activities that are both fun and educational.
Principal stakeholders
From the beginning of the La Luzette wind farm project, the municipal representatives from the Cantal and Lot communities involved in the project have worked together to organise a form of wind farm development that respects their local area. At the same time, many farmers and residents wanted to take part in the wind farm project. Convinced that they must promote their land resources with their stakeholders, in the first instance VALOREM responded favourably to their request. The municipal representatives delegated the organisation of local participation to Figeac Farms Agricultural Cooperative, through SAS SÉGALA ENR. With a quick and high turnout, citizen participation brought together 180 residents. As a result they became stakeholders in their wind farm and involved in its governance.
1 Clean, local energy that contributes to national goals
Since the summer of 2016, these 7 VESTAS-branded wind turbines have been producing green electricity for nearby consumers. Their annual production is estimated at 31,000 MWh, equivalent to the electricity consumption of 11,000 households (excluding heating and hot water*). As a result, this farm fully contributes to the Energy Transition Act’s goal to increase the share of renewable energies to 40% of the electricity mix by 2030.
2 A successful partnership between a wind farm developer and an entire local community
Right from the start, the municipal representatives from the Cantal and Lot communities involved in the project have worked together to organise a form of wind farm development that respects their own locality. At the same time, many farmers and residents wanted to take part in the wind farm project. Convinced that they must promote their land resources with their stakeholders, in the first instance VALOREM responded favourably to their request. The municipal representatives delegated the organisation of local participation to Figeac Farms Agricultural Cooperative, through SAS SÉGALA ENR. With a quick and high turnout, citizen participation brought together 180 residents. As a result, they became stakeholders in their wind farm and involved in its governance. As support for the local economy was a high priority for VALOREM, local companies were given business wherever possible. For example, COLAS and CHAVINIER (Cantal) or STAP (Lot) built the roads and networks.