One of the UK's largest onshore wind farms could be built in the Scottish Borders if plans receive the go-ahead.
Muirhall Energy wants to build the 62-turbine Teviot Wind Farm with tip heights of 240 metres on land east of Priesthaugh, south of Hawick.
The firm, set up by an ex-detective, has pledged that the wind farm development would generate £2.8m a year – or £114.4m over its planned 40-year operational life – to support communities across Teviotdale.
It also plans to set up a £500,000 initial investment fund to help communities during the construction period.
Muirhall Energy was founded by former Lothian and Borders detective Chris Walker after 15 years working in firearms, CID and drug squads.
Mr Walker, 58, from South Queensferry, got the idea after buying a farm on a bleak, wind-blasted moor in Lanarkshire.
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He said: “The farm came with 400 acres of poor hill ground and after sinking the tractor into the peat three or four times there was a bit of a eureka moment.
"I opened the door of the tractor and it blew open with the wind and smashed the window.
"That was early 2003 and I came home that night and on the television it said wind was the way forward.”
His firm, which became Muirhall Energy in 2009, employs 35 workers, develops and manages onshore wind projects, and sells renewable power into the wholesale market and directly to climate-conscious businesses.
Mr Walker added: "We are very keen to engage with anybody interested in cheap green power."
A planning statement submitted with the application, from David Bell Planning, said: “Through engagement at the earliest stages of any development, Muirhall Energy aim to create open, positive and mutually beneficial relationships with residents, businesses and organisations which are then strengthened and maintained throughout the lifespan of the project.
“Muirhall Energy recently commissioned the Crossdykes Wind Farm in Dumfries and Galloway which is one of the first subsidy-free farms to be completed in the UK.
“By working openly and transparently with the communities nearest the Crossdykes Wind Farm, the project achieved another first by securing a shared ownership agreement with the local community which will benefit the area for the lifetime of the project.”
A spokesperson for Muirhall Energy said: “The Teviot Wind Farm will bring significant inward investment to local villages such as Teviothead and Denholm, as well as the larger town of Hawick.”
In addition to details on turbines and solar panels, the application also includes an Habitat Enhancement Plan, which proposes to increase public access to the site, the restoration of significant areas of peatland and the planting of 65 hectares of native woodland.
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