Increase in the number of UK wind farms

Green energy from renewable sources continues to be the subject of a great deal of debate.

The idea that our power requirements as a nation could be provided by cheap, clean natural sources such as solar, wave and wind power would seem to be a notion that nobody could really have much objection to.
However, the whole area of renewable energy generation is such a hot topic that it even led to David Cameron pledging to halt the growing number of wind farms last year due to growing opposition in rural areas.

In fact, more than 140 wind farms were given the go-ahead in 2013, according to figures released by the Department of Energy and Climate Change. A total of 141 onshore wind farms were granted planning permission compared to only 83 in 2010 and this represents an increase of two thirds during the past three years.

It isn’t just wind power that is seeing an increase in investment and construction, as the figures also show a significant rise in the number of solar power installations. Local councils gave approval to 141 last year, a rise from only nine in 2010. A total of 134 wind farm planning applications were rejected, compared to 37 refusals in 2010.

Green levies

Government-backed green levies currently allow power companies to claim for developing renewable energy projects, although this will be changing in 2017. From then on, subsidies for wind farms will be cut due to lower building costs, but this seems to be having the effect of causing developers to submit their planning applications now before the current system of incentives ends.

Renewable UK represents turbine builders and commented on the current situation by saying: “People favour wind energy and onshore developers are taking their responsibilities seriously in terms of consulting with the local community, answering concerns and questions, carrying out environmental assessments. We would welcome this.”

Opposition

Despite the moves to increase the number of UK wind farms, there is still plenty of opposition and campaigners have accused the government of going back on plans to give communities the power to veto new wind farm construction.

Renewable Energy Foundation is a charity which is critical of the cost of wind farms and director Dr John Constable said: “There is a stampede to get under the wire, the current system of subsidies is very, very generous. There are a lot of planning applications in the system. The views and interests of local people are not being reflected in planning decisions.”

This post has been provided by Mirage Machines, manufacturers and suppliers of portable machine tools for on-site machining applications and Wind Turbine Tower Machining Tool solutions.

References

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/10571988/Number-of-planned-onshore-wind-

farms-rises-by-two-thirds.html