Wind power - the litmus test

Brenda Pollack

20 July 2012

Wind power has been getting a lot of attention in the press lately. The Government announced that it may cut subsidy to this part of the renewable sector by as much as 25% rather than the expected 10%. I feel a bit of déjà view coming on after the fiasco over the Solar subsidy last year and the huge impact that had on the industry.  Renewables UK (the wind trade body) said they would be seriously affected and they might even take the Government to court if such severe cuts go ahead.   In the South East we've had Vestas pulling out of developing a factory to produce 7MW offshore turbines in Kent and news of yet another wind farm being turned down on the supposed Eco Island - the Isle of Wight.  And a couple of days ago a company had to withdraw an application for 5 turbines in Sussex on the doorstep of two Energy Ministers - Greg Clark and Charles Hendry.  A bitter blow to local campaigners who I've been working with.

To me, wind power is the litmus test of how committed this Government is to seeing renewable energy grow in the UK. The hostile Nimby opposition groups that spring up at nearly every proposed  wind farm are riding high on the back of the Government's vacillating approach. This does no good for investors and developers.  As Laura Sandys MP (a member of the Energy and Climate Change Committee) recently said :

"The market needs certainty from government if it is to deliver the thousands of jobs and billions of pounds of investment that could secure our economic recovery."

On a more positive note I recently attended a meeting with E-on about their proposed 700Mw Rampion offshore wind farm. Whilst we have some major concerns about the onshore cabling going on a circuitous route through the South Downs National Park, we do support this project.  We need a range of different sized wind power schemes across the UK if we are going to meet our target of 15% of our energy needs from renewable sources by 2020.

Also in Dorset we had good news when a Planning Inspector ruled in favour of a four turbine development in Wareham.  However it took five years to get that one through!

Oh, and on a positive note (for me anyway!) I recently bumped into an ex Friends of the Earth group co-ordinator who wants to help with our Clean British Energy Campaign, having been made redundant from a company installing solar panels!

Brenda Pollack

South East Regional Campaigner