Wed 29 Mar 2006
Wind Energy Industry response to Climate Change Review
Posted by Darragh Field under Peakist , Energy , Renewability , Carbon , Wind Power , Global Warming , Environment , Resource“We had hoped this climate review would inject an additional boost to offshore wind to ensure it joined onshore as a major provider of new power and carbon savings to hit our 2010 targets. The Government’s failure to act in this review must be addressed in the forthcoming Energy Review. Without a vibrant offshore wind sector it is hard to see how the Government’s 2010 climate targets can be met and how our 20% renewable aspirations by 2020 can become a working reality.”   Marcus Rand, BWEA’s Chief Executive
The wind industry expressed disappointment today as the Government’s Climate Change Programme failed to identify the additional support needed to ensure that offshore wind projects, essential to meeting our climate and renewables targets, are delivered on time.
BWEA, as part of its submission to the Climate Review, had called on Government to make additional financial support available for offshore wind projects – of which some 2,000 megawatts (MW) could be built by 2010.
Without this long-term additional support the future of the UK’s offshore wind energy programme is in doubt and the significant carbon reducing potential of this key technology may not be fully realised.
The disappointing news follows more positive news from the wind industry on the development of onshore projects. New research released yesterday by BWEA shows that onshore market is due to exceed previous predictions and deliver some 6,000 MW of wind power capacity by 2010 and generate almost 5% of the nation’s electricity needs.
2 Responses to “Wind Energy Industry response to Climate Change Review”
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March 29th, 2006 at 1:59 am
The government is putting out a line emphasising individual contributions such as microgeneration - a wholly unrealistic strategy that all their own reserach demonstrates isn’t going to make a major impact. It does serve however to transfer a sense of responsibility from the state to the individual. The only good thing is that all the evidence shows that if individuals do get involved in carbon reduction to whatever extent this leads to knock on effects, so if they encourage schools to have token wind turbines people do actually start thinking about it and might start expecting more of the government. You could reduce the speed limit to 60 - that’d be a vote winner! (they brought in a 50 limit in the US during the 70s oil crisis and mandatory fuel efficiency levels on car manufacturers).
All the talk about globalisation and the power of the multinationals underestimates the power of government and allows government to hide behind a smoke screen of ‘jobs going abroad’ - The governement has more power vis a vie multinationals than they make out - its called ‘laws’ - here’s a few - planning permission to leave lights on in empty corporate buildings, solar water heating as mandatory building regulation, mandatory level of fuel effeciency for corporate car fleets, mandatory no ’stand by’ feature on all electronic products, mandatory light bulb efficiency, £1000 road tax on SUVs to provide funds for subsidised rail travel for low income families - I can’t imagine your average joe protesting in the streets about any of them. How hard is it?
March 29th, 2006 at 3:18 am
Its doubly disappointing considering how well Wind engergy has been doing.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4847054.stm
http://www.bwea.com/media/latest.html
Onshore wind farms will provide about 5% of Britain’s electricity by 2010, according to the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA).
In a new report, it says turbines are being installed faster than predicted.
If this is correct, onshore wind farms will take the government halfway to its target of generating 10% of electricity from renewable sources by 2010.
The report comes a day before the government unveils a major review of its climate change policies.
Entitled Onshore Wind: Powering Ahead, the report claims to be the most comprehensive assessment of the UK’s onshore wind sector ever undertaken.
It forms part of the BWEA’s response to another ongoing government review on energy which is due to conclude in the middle of the year.
Half full
Our research proves that onshore wind will bring major benefits to the economy and the environment
Chris Tomlinson
The BWEA says that projects already constructed and those already approved will give a capacity of 3,000 megawatts (MW) by 2010.
Taking into account potential barriers such as planning consent and grid capability, it identifies a further 3,000MW capacity which it says is “forecast to be consented and built” by the decade’s end.
“Onshore wind can play a hugely significant role in meeting renewable energy and climate change targets,” said the BWEA’s head of onshore, Chris Tomlinson.
“Our research proves, very clearly, that onshore wind will deliver, bringing major benefits to the economy and the environment while securing our energy supplies.”
Onshore wind farms are more advanced than any other renewable energy sector in Britain, though installation lags well behind some other European countries such as Denmark and Germany.
A 2004 reform of the planning process aimed at easing approvals has proven only a partial success, with a number of recent applications refused or scaled down.
But despite opposition from a few high-profile figures such as TV naturalist David Bellamy, polls suggest the public approves, with a Guardian/ICM survey in 2005 showing about 70% of the population endorsing wind farm construction within 20 miles (32km) of their home.
If the onshore wind industry is as healthy as the new report suggests, the challenge for the government is to stimulate the remaining 5% of renewable capacity needed to reach its 2010 target.
BWEA figures show that only four offshore wind farms are currently in operation. Though output can be higher per turbine and wind more consistent, construction costs are also higher and grid connection is a bigger issue.
Photovoltaic solar panels produce less than 1% of the nation’s electricity, and wave and tidal technologies remain in the development stage.