Believe it or not, the answer is no. Developers claim this but detailed studies by Oswald Consulting Ltd (Dec. 2006) comparing Met. Office wind data with the actual electricity generated showed that there are significant periods when the whole of the UK is essentially becalmed – especially in winter when electricity demand is highest. . So too many wind farms will mean power cuts unless there is back-up.
Yes, the wind is free, but extracting the energy from it is not. In addition, the electricity produced cannot be stored and feeding it into the national grid is complex and costly – a bill ultimately paid by the consumer.
All wind turbines need back-up. Coal or gas-fired power stations are essential to maintain uninterrupted supplies of electricity when there is little wind. So any savings in CO2 emissions by using wind energy are significantly reduced by power stations running inefficiently on standby.
No, it couldn’t. Nuclear power stations produce constant energy (known as ‘base-load’) essential for our Western life-style for 24/7 all the year round. Wind is an unreliable ‘bit player’ on the energy scene. It would take 1,500 wind turbines spread over 20 km2 to produce the same electricity as a 1,000 megawatt nuclear power station – even then it could not provide base load.
There are no direct capital payments for onshore wind farm developments though there are capital grants for those offshore. However, the Government devised a system called the Renewables Obligation under which a megawatt of electricity from wind earns the developer from two to three times the sum of ‘conventional’ electricity. The public pays unwittingly for this in its bills. According to Ofgem this cost us over £1 billion between March 2006 and April 2007.
Interestingly Sweden and The Netherlands have scrapped wind subsidies. Norway didn’t provide any. Germany realises that wind power is a "bottomless subsidy pit". Wind works in Denmark ONLY because it has power lines to Sweden, Norway and Germany for grid balancing at low-wind periods – not so in the UK.
Wind power is one of the most costly and least effective methods by which to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, as pointed out by the Government’s Audit Commission. In fact Professor Dieter Helm, an Oxford Economist and Government advisor, has suggested that the cost of CO2 savings by the use of wind power could be as high as £280-£510 per tonne – which is a scandal. On top of this, the Energy Minister admitted in an answer to a question in Parliament (January 10th 2008) that the added cost of connecting the already approved wind farms to the National Grid will be £10.6 billion by 2012. Who do you think will pay for it? Correct!
This is claimed by developers but many are replaced after just 9 to 12 years (called re-powering) with yet larger turbines - For example, the ones above Caton which were replaced with much bigger turbines and now dominate the skyline for miles around.
There may be some local jobs in the 6-18 month construction phase but wind farms are remotely monitored, often from abroad. Maintenance generates about 2 jobs for every 10 turbines, paltry by comparison with tourism.
Our Landscape is threatened.
In 2001 Government gave greater protection to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs). So it is perverse to allow wind farms in or adjacent to AONBs or National Parks. English Heritage and The Council for National Parks emphasise the importance of the ‘setting’ of such landscapes: Windfarms greatly degrade the setting of AONBs and National Parks.
Our Wildlife is threatened.
Wind farms are often sited on uplands which contain some of England’s last tracts of wilderness greatly valued by wildlife and people. Such areas are a major breeding, over-wintering or migration area for birds, including declining species such as the Hen Harrier, Merlin, Skylark and Lapwing. These will be directly threatened by inappropriately sited wind farms.
Our Tourism is threatened
Cumbria has 19 million visitors a year which accounts for £1.1 billion (18%) of Cumbria’s GDP and 30,000 full and part-time jobs. A DTI (BERR) Small Business Council report (2006) and a recent report for the Scottish Government (The economic impacts of wind farms on Scottish Tourism - March 2008) estimates that wind farms in tourist areas are likely to reduce visitor numbers by up to 15%. 15% of Cumbria’s £1.1 billion represents £165million of lost revenue, a high price to pay for a poor return.