Culliagh

In the opening year of deregulation of the electricity industry, Culliagh wind farm, situated to the west of Ballybofey in County Donegal, was constructed by Airtricity.  This represented not only a first for Ireland's principal supplier of green energy but it was also the first Irish wind farm to be fully funded by the private sector.  

Minister of State for Energy, Joe Jacobs officially opened Culliagh on November 30th 2000, stating "the country has a vast wind energy resource and this is a prime example of how the use of indigenous resources in an environmentally friendly way brings benefits locally through the participation of local business acumen and nationally by reducing our dependence on energy imports and at the same time avoiding greenhouse gas emmissions".