A PIONEERING project to provide green energy could see wind farms being installed across England's largest county.

Powergen is introducing Community Power to North Yorkshire. Under the scheme, small-scale wind farms containing two or three turbines would be built on sites across the county.

The turbines would not supply the immediate area with energy, but Powergen would make annual payments of about £8,000 to the local community. But the idea may face opposition from local people, many of whom spent years fighting a controversial scheme to install overhead electricity pylons along a 50-mile stretch.

Widespread opposition to the scheme forced the National Grid to delay the multi-million pound plan for 229 pylons.

Powergen hopes to get round the problem by leaving it up to local groups to apply for wind turbines.

Officials stressed last night that strict planning rules are in force over the placement of turbines. For example, they cannot be too close to roads or residential areas.

For that reason any application in the Yorkshire Dales or North York Moors is likely to be the subject of intense scrutiny.

Once an application pack has been filed, Powergen will carry out a feasibility study to see whether or not the site is suitable.

At present, it is trying to gauge the level of interest in the scheme.

Powergen spokesman Jonathan Smith said: "This is very much a new initiative and we will have to wait and see how well it goes.

"It is fairly small-scale developments that will essentially be to the benefit of the local community. They will be able to use the money for anything they want and the site could be community land or a school playing field.

"It also helps to reduce the emission of gases into the atmosphere."

The scheme is being introduced across the Yorkshire and Humber region and has already won the backing of a North Yorkshire County Council committee.

The environment scrutiny committee says the county council should support Community Power.

Committee chairman Councillor Heather Garnett said: "We recognise the need for energy generation from wind power and other renewable sources in order to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions that are affecting the weather in the UK and the rest of the world.

"But we also recognise that wind turbines can be regarded as unsightly and an intrusion into the landscape."

The scrutiny committee recommended support for the Powergen proposal in principle and said that the council should work with the company and other partners to see if there were any suitable sites in North Yorkshire.