Northumberland landscape 'under siege' from wind farms

Nov 26 2008 by Dave Black, The Journal

Dash for wind power risky - Peers

THE Government’s dash for wind power could prove "risky and costly" with £80 added to annual household bills, according to a Parliamentary report.

The House of Lords economic affairs committee warned turbines are limited by wind intermittency, but that ministers appeared dependent on their development to meet an EU energy target.

Ministers have signed up to a target of 15% of energy coming from renewable sources by 2020.

But peers have questioned whether the goal can be met.

Committee chairman Lord Vallance said: "The UK is most likely to adopt wind power as its main means of producing more renewable electricity. This has an inherent weakness in that it cannot be relied upon to generate electricity at the time it is needed.

"Current policies would take the UK into uncharted territory, with a dependence on intermittent supply unprecedented elsewhere in Europe. To guard against power shortages, wind turbines would need to be backed up with conventional generation."

Peers say wind generation should be seen largely as additional capacity rather than a substitute for the substantial number of coal and nuclear plants that are closing.

Higher costs associated with renewable generation are also predicted to push up industry bills by £6.8bn a year or 38% – adding £80 to annual fuel bills for the average household.