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Wind Farms:
recent report suppressed
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The wind farm saga continues. Now we have DECC taking a dislike to a report on wind farms commissioned by Owen Paterson, and written by DEFRA.


Some points from this article "Ministers at War" (Daily Telegraph, 20 Aug 13) are summarized below.


The piece contained much speculation and politicking and the science was, as usual, badly reported. It stated, incorrectly, that wind supplies 6.3GW of electrical power (the actual figure is about a quarter of that amount, as can be verified using the GRIDWATCH link) but is at least an indication that the mainstream media are waking up to the disaster which is our energy policy.


An official study on the impact of wind and solar farms on the countryside and the rural economy is being suppressed by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, headed by Lib-Dem Ed Davey.


The report was commissioned by the Conservative Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson but DECC will not make it public, probably because of its embarrassing conclusions, which are likely to include (i) wind power does not reduce carbon dioxide emissions so is not fit for purpose, (ii) local properties are devalued, (iii) tourism is affected; (iv) the energy generated is unaffordably expensive; (v) few local jobs are created.


David Cameron recently expressed opposition to onshore wind farms recently, saying that there is limited potential for the technology in the UK. He said he was in favour of offshore wind (........which is even more expensive than onshore wind; probably about double the price.....-Ed.) and shale gas exploration using 'fracking'.


The government is still committed to erecting thousands of new wind turbines by 2020. DECC projections said that the turbine numbers are intended to double over the next ten years.


DECC has said that the country could produce 10-12 GW of electricity from onshore wind farms by 2020.


This is untrue.


At present our wind turbines, onshore and offshore, produce 1.5GW between them.


Doubling the turbine numbers would therefore produce 3 GW.


DECC must know this.


Why, therefore, are they saying that 10-12GW is achievable by 2020 when it clearly, obviously, isn't?





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