The
Renewable Energy Foundation are regularly getting their distorted views on wind power published. Here is a letter that i sent to a local paper as a response.
Dear Editor,
On Monday you carried a story claiming wind farms
will cost electricity bill payers £400 a year. A lot of people are
really struggling with energy prices, particularly in rural
Aberdeenshire where mains gas isn't accessible. The story was based on
work by the Renewable Energy Foundation (REF) and this should provide
some relief.
The Renewable Energy Foundation (REF) was set up in 2005 by Noel
Edmonds (yes that one!) and has been called a "anti-wind lobbying group"
by the wind industries trade body. It is not an academic institution
nor an impartial party.
So where does this number come from? This £400 number is what you
get if you estimate the subsidy due to all of the UK's wind farm
projects likely to be built in Scotland by 2020 and then allocate all of
that cost to Scottish electricity bill payers. Even if Scotland becomes
independent it is far from clear how the issue of subsidies would be
resolved, not least because everyone will want to take credit for the
carbon saving. All of the UK's nations have carbon targets.
REF clearly want people to be disgusted by the cost of wind. The
only problem is that wind power produces low carbon electricity in a
safe manner at a cost only marginally higher than fossil fuel sources.
As the cost of fossil fuels goes up and the cost of wind power comes
down London School of Economics (1) predicts that onshore wind will
become cheaper that traditional forms of energy. Wind power has the
potential to create large numbers of jobs in Scotland and despite what
REF wants you to believe alternative forms of power may well become
cheaper than traditional forms. If you don't like the look of wind
turbines i cant argue with that but the economic case is far from as
frightening as REF portray it.
Yours faithfully,
Calvin Jones
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Posted By Calvin Jones to
Climate Change Action at 11/09/2012 10:16:00 AM