By Joleen Murphy
Four local authorities, including one in the South East, depend on wind farms for over 10 percent of their rates income.
A study by KPMG for Wind Energy Ireland reveals they contribute 15.5 percent in Co Tipperary.
It says close to two thousand more jobs will be added in the sector in the next decade, which is around a third of them operational jobs.
Russell Smyth, who's a partner at KMPG, says the amount of tax paid is set to more than double over the coming decade.
"Wind farms contributed approximately 45 million, so this is very important source of revenue.
"That is going to grow to over 100 million a year contribution to local authority rates and these local authority rates are then providing the funding for all the services that the local authorities provide.
This is another demonstration of how this sector has grown to provide a contribution to services." Almost 2,000 people will be employed in the onshore wind power industry in 10 years, according to the report.
It found that employment will rise from over 5,100 today to over 7,000 in 2030.
The four local authorities depend on wind farms for over 10 percent of their rates income.
KPMG partner Russell Smyth says a good portion of the capital invested in wind power stays in Ireland.
"An awful lot of the jobs are indigenous companies.
"All of the jobs that we have focused and looked at here is the economic value to people living in Ireland and the total value of payments to individuals living in Ireland is over 225 million a year.
"That is 225 million euro coming in to the workers in Ireland
"So a lot of this is being kept on shore in Ireland and adding real value to the economy."
