October 31, 2012

expert reaction to contrasting government statements about onshore wind

The energy minister, John Hayes, and the secretary of state for energy and climate change, Ed Davey, commented on wind farms in the UK.

Dr Tony Whitehead, Director of Policy at the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), said:

“The large investment and long timescales involved in all types of energy generation need consistent, long-term energy policies. Short-term uncertainty around UK energy policy, as we have seen in the last couple of days, is very unhelpful and has the potential to result in increased prices for consumers and delay much-needed investment in all forms of energy infrastructure.  It can also stop investment in new UK jobs.

“Uncertainty over policy toward one energy source implies uncertainty for all sources. Remarks about wind power also affect gas, nuclear and other investments.

“The UK has the world’s largest offshore wind industry and there is huge potential in terms of investment and future jobs. Several international companies planning investments in the UK recently wrote to the Energy Secretary expressing concern over the emergence of political risk in the UK which has traditionally been regarded as having a low risk for energy investment.

“Inconsistent comments from different quarters of the Government could be very damaging and affect confidence in the market, just at the time investment decisions are about to be made, potentially driving investment and jobs overseas.”

Prof Michael Grubb, Chair of Energy and Climate Policy at Cambridge University, said:

“In the UK we have a solid base of domestic renewable resources and a solid framework of policies on energy efficiency.  Yet this week’s announcements suggest we have a vocal faction in the government that is determined to undo all this by attacking renewable energy and undermining investor confidence.

“Onshore wind turbines must be carefully and properly sited.  But this intervention is nonsensical.  At a time of wrenching fuel bills, serious questions need to be asked about why Junior Minister John Hayes is unilaterally advocating a policy to try and block one of our cheapest renewable energy resources and thus drive up everyone’s energy bills.”

Philip Heptonstall, UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) and Imperial College London, said:

“The evidence shows that onshore wind in the UK is amongst the lowest cost per unit of electricity produced from the available suite of low carbon power generation options.  It follows that preventing the construction of appropriately sited onshore wind farms will make consumers bills higher than they would otherwise be.”