Partinico and Monreale: repowering wind turbines and delivering tangible community benefits

Sicily faces a challenge of ageing renewable energy infrastructure that is underperforming relative to its potential, coupled with communities that have historically had little involvement in energy development on their land.  The municipalities of Partinico and Monreale, in the province of Palermo, recognised that renewing wind energy capacity within their territory offered an opportunity to advance the energy transition while generating tangible local economic benefit.  

In June 2023, the Monreale-Partinico wind park completed a full technological upgrade, replacing ageing infrastructure with state-of-the-art turbines and dramatically increasing clean energy output, all without occupying any additional land. The project replaced 19 obsolete turbines with 10 new-generation ones, bringing total installed capacity from 16 MW to 42 MW and increasing annual energy output from 27 GWh to 94 GWh, roughly four times the previous production. The upgraded facility now powers the equivalent of around 18,000 households and avoids 44,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year. The completion of the repowered wind farm represents an example of valuable cooperation between the public and private sectors, a model that both municipalities actively shaped and supported throughout the process.

Community Engagement

The municipalities played a central role in shaping the project from the beginning. The consultation process began in 2018, when the project was presented via a Public Notice, and citizen comments were formally transmitted through the Municipality of Palermo. Following revisions that incorporated community feedback, a second public notice was issued before the process concluded with institutional sign-off at national and local level.

Throughout planning and construction, citizens, local NGOs, and businesses were all given structured opportunities to contribute through informative meetings, consultative platforms, and collaborative planning sessions. An online platform ensured that relevant project information remained publicly accessible at all stages.

Local Communities Benefits

The economic benefits were structured to reach the territory directly and immediately. Lump-sum compensation was provided upfront to local authorities, who then allocated the funds to locally identified priorities. This included the refurbishment of roads and infrastructure affected by construction, improving accessibility, and safety across the area.

During the approximately two-year construction phase, an average of 45 people were employed on site each day, with around 25% drawn from the local communities of Partinico and Monreale. Of the 41 companies involved in construction, more than half were local businesses.

Between 16 to 20 permanent and long-term local jobs were created in installation, maintenance, and operations. Beyond employment, the agreed community benefits included educational programmes (field visits for students, public lectures on the energy transition, and scholarships for local students), support for community-oriented infrastructure, and guidance on developing community-led renewable energy schemes.

Nature-based Approach

The removal of the old turbines was carried out with the same care as the new construction. All non-reusable infrastructure, foundations, underground cables, and obsolete electrical components, was dismantled using selective, non-destructive methods designed to maximise material recovery (steel, copper, and concrete), with recycling handled through authorised facilities. Functional infrastructure, such as internal roads and hydraulic systems, was retained and integrated into the new layout.

Ecological restoration included reinstating the original soil profile, re-vegetating with native species, and applying natural-engineering techniques to stabilise slopes and support habitat regeneration. A dedicated avifauna monitoring system was implemented to track and mitigate any impacts on birdlife.

Nature-specific education accompanied the restoration work, with nature trail walks, student field visits to restored areas, and classroom presentations on environmental impact mitigation all delivered to the local community.

Fast & Fair Renewables  

The project was selected as one of four finalists for the inaugural Fast and Fair Renewables Award, presented at the WindEurope Annual Conference in Madrid in April 2026. The award highlights renewable energy initiatives that embed social justice, environmental responsibility, and community participation at their root, recognising projects that demonstrate how cooperation between citizens, local authorities, industry, and civil society can lead to energy systems that are both efficient and broadly beneficial. Selected from 13 entries by a jury of stakeholders drawn from solar and wind industry associations, civil society, energy communities and local government networks, the project's recognition reflects the strength of the model. The Fast and Fair Renewables award spotlights projects that reflect five agreed principles: local influence, local value, transparency, nature positivity, and the empowerment of community-led initiatives, all of which this project embodies from the outset of the consultation process in 2018 through to its continued engagement with local communities today.

The site's inclusion in Legambiente's "Ecological Transition Construction Sites Tour" in July 2023 and the recognition from the President of the Sicilian Region both point to the wider significance of the approach. Environmental compensation and local employment are not add-ons, but integral to the legitimacy and lasting value of renewable energy investment in communities with limited economic alternatives.

Lessons learned / Replicability  

The project demonstrates that wind farm repowering can deliver substantially greater clean energy output while reducing visual and land impact, and that a structured engagement and compensation process can generate broad community support alongside tangible local benefit.

Several features of this model are directly applicable to other cities considering renewable energy repowering or new installations:

• Start the community process early
• Structure compensation so it reaches the community directly and quickly
• Prioritise local employment as a project design criterion
• Use repowering rather than greenfield development where feasible 

Partinico and Monreale, Italy

Covenant Signatories since 2013

Population: 

• Monreale: 39,032 (2017)
• Partinico: 31,847 (2017) 

Area covered: 

• Monreale:  530.18 km2
• Partinico: 108.06 km2 

Key Figures

Overall CO₂ emissions reduction target: 

• Monreale:  -40% (2011 baseline) by 2030
• Partinico: -41% (2011 baseline) by 2030

Wind farm data:

• 42 MWp total installed capacity  
• 94 GWh Average annual energy output
• 44,000 t CO₂ avoided per year
• ~18,000 Households powered
• 45 people employed per day on site, 25% local
• 41 Companies involved, 23 local 

Useful links:

• Partinico and Monreale wind farm

• Partinico and Monreale repowering project