Government advisers back wind power
Harnessing wind power in the UK is key to tackling climate change and improving security of supply, the Government was today advised.
In a new report, the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) says that Britain’s geography provides the best wind resources in Europe, and could provide ample power to meet current renewable energy targets.
The Government aims to generate one tenth of the UK’s electricity needs from renewables by 2010 and the SDC believes this could grow to one fifth by 2020 if wind power is properly exploited.
The report estimates that wind farms would have to fill one millionth of Britain’s total land area to produce this amount of energy.
But the prospect of a rash of new wind turbines often causes intractable local planning rows and the report also aims to help policy makers and planners balance residents’ concerns with the needs of the wider environment and society.
A failure to act would result in environmental changes much greater than those threatened by wind farms, SDC chairman Jonathon Porritt claimed.
“Climate change will have a devastating impact unless urgent action is taken to boost the contribution of renewables, alongside energy efficiency measures,” he said.
“Good decision-making is needed, and this requires reliable, up to date information, based on the best available scientific evidence.
“We believe wind power is a critically important part of the overall energy mix, and hope that this authoritative guide will ensure wind power is harnessed in the most responsible way to ensure that emissions of carbon dioxide are reduced.”
But embracing renewable energy will not solve the problems of climate change and security of supply in isolation, according to Dr Bernard Bulkin, commissioner and chair of SDC’s energy and transport steering group.
He argues: “Support for wind power needs to go hand in hand with a push for much greater energy efficiency – in transport, households and the public sector.”
