In 1980 there was a proposal to build a nuclear power station in Cornwall. At that time the county produced no electricity, and those two factors prompted one man to embark on a course that would change him, the community, and the landscape.

Peter Edwards is a farmer near Delabole in North Cornwall, and he built the country’s first commercial wind farm which started to produce electricity in 1991. It now contributes enough power for 2700 homes, and is a tourist attraction with thousands of visitors stopping to look at it every year.

At about the same time local environmentalist Jenni Thomson established the Gaia Trust, a charity which aims to educate people in the damage being done to our planet and what we should do to reduce it.

Last year the Gaia Energy Centre, a multi million pound building, was opened as a result of their combined efforts. Here visitors can find out about the past, present and future of renewable energy.