Landowners' Renewable Legal Advice

Many farmers, landowners and communities are interested in renewable energy investment.

Reasons vary: some want to reduce their own power bills through a single installation, some want to generate power commercially, and others have been approached by commercial developers seeking land as part of large scale renewable development.

Whatever your reasons for wanting to be involved in renewable energy, WJM can help. We’ve been in renewables since 1995 and work on renewable energy projects for developers and for land owners. That gives us an unrivalled in-depth experience in renewable energy law.

Regardless of scheme size, generation method or business structure, we can help you.

Our experience in owner-managed on-farm renewable schemes includes advising on single wind turbines and projects for small multiples of turbines, as well as solar, biomass and micro-hydro schemes. We also work with landowners whose land forms part of larger renewable energy developments such as multi-turbine wind farms and bigger hydro-electric schemes.

Community-owned schemes are growing in popularity and we work with community groups on hydro, wind and biomass generation and heating schemes. We are a member of Community Energy Scotland’s advisors panel to rural community groups in renewable projects, and regularly advise community groups on renewable energy law and planning.

We work in partnership with WJM’s wider Renewable Energy Team. They act for a wide range of larger scale developers and, between us, we bring a rarely matched depth of experience to your project. Working with Graham Bell and Susan Hoyle, we can advise on beneficial tax and business structures. Fraser Gillies is a planning and environmental specialist with a wealth of experience in obtaining planning consent for renewable projects at Appeal.

Recent work for landowners and farmers includes:

• The financing of a 750kw hydro scheme on a West Coast estate
• An Option/Lease Agreement for a single turbine on a farm in South Lanarkshire
• Negotiating the development of up to three large turbines on an Ayrshire Farm.

 Our renewable energy law team, planning team, corporate law team and many others will work together to ensure your project goes smoothly, whether it is a single wind turbine or a large scale project.