Wind Power News: U.K.
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Brighton to Newhaven wind farm plans revealed
Energy company E.ON is today (February 6) unveiling its plans for between 100 and 195 wind turbines eight miles out to sea off the coast between Brighton and Newhaven. The wind farm would generate enough energy to power more than two out of every three homes in Sussex, including the whole of Brighton and Hove. It would be one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world. The development has been broadly welcomed by MPs, councillors and environmental groups. . . .
Full letter from MPs to David Cameron on wind power subsidies
More than 100 MPs have written to the Prime Minister demanding cuts to the £500 million a year subsidies paid to the wind power industry. The Prime Minister 10 Downing Street LONDON, SW1A 2AA As Members of Parliament from across the political spectrum, we have grown more and more concerned about the Government’s policy of support for on-shore wind energy production. In these financially straightened times, we think it is unwise to make consumers pay, through taxpayer subsidy, for inefficient . . .
100 Tories call for wind-farm subsidy cuts
The Scottish Government has launched a robust defence of its flagship green energy policy after concerns were raised by more than 100 Tory politicians about the cost of subsidies paid for onshore wind farms. The MPS called for a dramatic cut to subsidies in a revolt against government policy, as they expressed serious concerns over the level of taxpayers’ money going to the sector. Campaigners against wind farms in Scotland yesterday added their voices to the calls for subsidies to . . .
Trouble in the air: 101 Tories write to the PM in rebellion over wind farms
More than 100 Conservative MPs are mounting a rebellion over the Government’s plan to introduce more wind farms. Dozens of backbench Tories have written to David Cameron to demand that the £400million in subsidies paid to the ‘inefficient’ industry each year is ‘dramatically cut’. They are also pressing for a change to planning laws to make it easier for communities to block proposals relating to the unsightly turbines. The protest presents an immediate challenge for the new Liberal Democrat Climate . . .
Wind power: why the MPs have written to the Prime Minister
What is current government policy on wind farms? The Coalition government – just like the Labour government before it – is convinced wind farms are the future. The UK is one of the windiest places in western Europe and that is a resource the government is determined to exploit. Onshore and offshore turbines are actively encouraged in order to help meet strict carbon emissions targets. By 2020, 40 per cent of all UK electricity should come from ‘low carbon’ sources, . . .
Turbine trouble
It is grimly appropriate that the Conservative MPs’ rebellion over onshore wind power, which has landed, in the form of a letter, on the desk of new Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey, has coincided with the onset of Britain’s big freeze. For it is, of course, at times of very cold weather that the extra electricity provided by wind turbines is most needed. Yet it is also at such times that these machines are at their most useless, . . .
Offshore turbines ‘will pose a threat to nuclear subs fleet’
Defence chiefs have warned that Britain’s nuclear submarine fleet could be under threat from plans to erect hundreds of wind farms off the west coast of Scotland. They say the developments could hamper access to the Trident base on the Clyde and increase the risk of subs running aground or colliding with other vessels. Reports yesterday quoted a senior defence source as saying: “There is no doubt that these fields would be an additional hazard to shipping. The rotating blades . . .
Firm abandons forest wind turbines plans
A wind power firm has scrapped plans to build four 115m turbines near Hamsterley Forest because of ‘environmental’ concerns. Since 2009, two companies have outlined separate plans to build wind farms at Crake Scar, which is also known as Windy Bank. In 2009, Bolsterstone Innovative Energy submitted initial proposals. Soon afterwards, County Durham firm Banks Renewables revealed it wanted to erect turbines in a nearby field. Since then, a war of words has raged between Banks Renewables and wind farm . . .
Rebel Tory MPs demand cut in onshore wind farm subsidies
A string of Yorkshire’s Tory MPs are among more than 100 party backbenchers who have written to David Cameron calling for a dramatic cut in subsidies to onshore wind farms and a chance for local people to have greater power to block future developments. In what represents a major revolt against Government policy by around a third of the Conservative Parliamentary party, rebel Tories have joined forces with a handful of politicians from other parties to express concern over the . . .
Kilgallioch Forest wind farm plans revised
Revised plans for a major wind farm development in Wigtownshire have been submitted to the Scottish government. Scottish Power Renewables had previously applied to construct 132 turbines at a site in Kilgallioch Forest near New Luce. However, the energy company has now scaled back the proposed development to 99 turbines. The project site sits on the border between Dumfries and Galloway and South Ayrshire. Initial plans were submitted two years ago and, at the time, it would have been one . . .
