Resources & FAQ

The plain-English version.

A short glossary, the questions we get asked most often, and the external links worth bookmarking.

Glossary

CC: Community Council. A statutory voluntary body representing a local area in Scotland.
MW: Megawatt. One million watts of electrical capacity.
GW: Gigawatt. One thousand megawatts. Typical scale of large offshore wind projects.
BESS: Battery Energy Storage System. Grid-scale batteries that absorb and release power.
Community benefit: Money paid voluntarily by an energy operator into the communities affected by its project.
Social licence: The ongoing acceptance of a project by the communities and stakeholders around it.

Do we have to commit to anything to talk to Tony?

No. The first conversation is informational.

Will our CC be liable if the charity goes wrong?

No — the charity is a separate legal entity with its own trustees.

How long does it take?

Typically 12–24 months from first conversation to first community-benefit payment.

What's the going rate?

Onshore precedent is £5,000–£7,500 per MW per year. Offshore industry guidance is converging on roughly 0.75% of gross revenue.

How is this different from talking to each CC?

You deal with one entity — the charity — instead of negotiating in parallel with nine CCs.

Is the contribution tax-deductible?

Normally yes. Your tax team will recognise the structure.

A briefing pack for Community Council Secretaries and a one-page operator overview will be linked here shortly.

We'll explain what's possible for your Community Council and what the next step looks like.