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 do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Firth of Forth wind farm ‘spells disaster’ for Scotland’s seabirds
Plans to build one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms in the Firth of Forth have been condemned as a potential catastrophe for Scotland’s seabird population. The developer SSE Renewables plans to build 307 wind turbines 29 miles off the East Lothian coast in the outer Firth of Forth. The scheme would have the capacity to generate 4.1GW, enough energy to power five million homes. SSE says the Berwick Bank scheme is vital if Scotland is to meet its . . . Complete story »
Seize property to build wind and solar farms, says JP Morgan chief
The chief executive of JP Morgan has suggested that governments should seize private land to build wind and solar farms in order to meet net zero targets. Jamie Dimon, the longstanding boss of the Wall Street titan who donates to the Democratic Party, said green energy projects must be fast-tracked as the window for averting the most costly impacts of global climate change is closing. In his annual shareholder letter, Mr Dimon said: “Permitting reforms are desperately needed to allow . . . Complete story »
Wind farm campaign group calls for help from supporters over petition change
A pressure group that campaigns against large-scale wind farms is calling for help from the public following a change in the way petitions to the Scottish Parliament are managed. Scotland Against Spin (SAS) lodged a petition in March 2021 seeking stronger powers for communities to influence planning decisions relating to onshore wind. The group has voiced concern over wind farms in Caithness and Sutherland and other parts of the Highlands. The petition to the Scottish Parliament’s Citizen Participation and Public . . . Complete story »
The real price of wind and solar
First pay for renewables. Then pay again to pick up all the slack. A billion here, a billion there, and soon you’re talking about real costs from politicians’ headlong rush toward net zero carbon emissions. United Kingdom households received a reminder of this truth recently with the latest data on how renewables drive up their energy bills. The British electric-grid operator spent £4.2 billion in 2022 balancing supply and demand on the network, a record amount. This works out to . . . Complete story »
Researchers warn of ‘urgent’ need to understand impact of windfarms on precious peatlands
Environmental scientists at Nottingham Trent University have for the first time mapped the extent of known windfarm infrastructures, such as wind turbines and vehicle tracks, on recognised blanket bogs in Europe. Blanket bogs – a rare type of peatland commonly found in areas with lots of rain and low temperatures – are typically found on hill summits where wind energy potential is higher, making them attractive sites for windfarm developments. They have a range of beneficial ecosystem services, improving water . . . Complete story »
Petition response raises hopes of communities having more say on wind farms
Hopes that communities can have a greater say in major wind farm developments affecting their area have been lifted by a parliamentary committee’s response to a petition on the issue. It asks the Scottish Government to look at ways of ensuring that “demonstration of local support is a key material consideration in the decision-making process”. In March 2021, Scotland Against Spin lodged a petition seeking stronger powers for communities to influence planning decisions relating to onshore wind. The group has . . . Complete story »
Renewables: the more you have, the more you pay for backups
Intermittent supply from a variety of power generation adds to the challenge of balancing the grid. Cold, still weather in the UK this week triggered high demand for electricity at a time when wind turbines were idling. That forced National Grid to use a back-up coal(opens a new window)-generation plant for the first time this winter. Depending on Mother Nature for electricity means accepting her inconsistencies. Back-up is required, and keeping it available has a cost. In the US, electricity . . . Complete story »
Why Britain is suddenly blowing cold on a wind power revolution
‘You cannot build an energy system if nobody makes a return in doing so.’ Ministers cheered last summer as wind farm developers competed to plant new turbines in UK waters, at ever cheaper rates. Danish giant Orsted was among the energy giants who agreed to build new wind-farms that would generate state-backed revenues well below wholesale prices at the time. “The more power we generate within our own borders, the better protected we will be from volatile gas prices that . . . Complete story »
Giant UK offshore wind farm ‘at risk without government support’
Rising supply chain costs and other financial pressures are threatening the development of what could be the world’s largest offshore wind farm off the coast of Britain. The Hornsea Three Offshore Wind Farm is expected to have a capacity of almost 3GW and generate enough energy to power three million homes. Energy giant Orsted, which is behind the construction of the massive wind farm, has said it needs more government support to achieve project progress. In a statement, Duncan Clark, . . . Complete story »
Scots ignite UN probe over public rights to challenge on planning
A United Nations body has begun a probe into whether the Scottish and UK governments have broken international law through a failure to give the public the right of challenge over planning decisions that would damage the nation’s precious environment, landscape and wildlife, it can be revealed. A coalition of campaign groups from Planning Democracy, Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland, Friends of the Earth Scotland and RSPB Scotland, submitted a formal complaint over the failure at the end of last . . . Complete story »
