EWEA Blog - Onshore wind has important role to play in the UK's future, Energy Secretary says

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas was wondering publicly if Hayes's
mis-directed anti-wind farm views allow the new Conservative energy
minister to even have a future in Britain's energy department.Lucas, in
a Guardian story, said Hayes's comments "represent the latest
intervention in a co-ordinated campaign by an anti-renewables lobby with
vested interests in propping up the declining fossil fuel industries.
They peddle a number of myths -- on effectiveness, cost and public
opinion -- which must be challenged."She was reacting to a Guardian
story on Wednesday which said that a heated row had broken out in the
Department of Energy and Climate Change after Liberal Democrat Energy
Secretary Ed Davey had "slapped down his new Conservative minister of
state for claiming that no more onshore wind farms need be built in
Britain."

In an earlier article in the Daily Mail, Hayes said turbines had been
"peppered around the country" with little or no regard for local opinion
and that existing sites and those in the pipeline would be enough to
meet green commitments with no need for more.  "Even if a minority of
what's in the system is built we are going to reach our 2020 target,"
Hayes said. "I'm saying enough is enough."The Guardian story noted that
Davey, in an official statement, said there had been no change to
government policy on renewable energy, as collectively agreed by the
coalition cabinet.  "We set out in the renewable energy roadmap in July
2011 how we expect to reach our target of getting 30% of all UK
electricity from renewable sources by 2020," Davey said, adding there
are no targets -- or caps -- for individual renewable technologies such
as onshore wind."What we're currently consulting on are ways of making
sure local communities feel the benefit of hosting wind farms, and
whether our understanding of future costs is accurate," he said.
"Onshore wind is one of the cheapest renewables, which is why we've been
able to cut the subsidy. It has an important role to play in our energy
future."

In yet a different Guardian article, the newspaper reported that
investment in renewable power worth tens of billions of pounds to the UK
economy, capable of creating thousands of new jobs, has been thrown into
doubt by the coalition dispute over energy policy."This is all very
damaging," Penny Shepherd, chief executive of the UK Sustainable
Investment and Finance Association, was quoted as saying."Investors want
predictability of policy, they want to see government support.
Multinational investors will look around the globe and ask, 'Who can we
trust?' [This is a] very negative signal."Among others shocked by Hayes'
comments was Maf Smith, the RenewableUK's Deputy Chief Executive.

A RenewableUK press release issued Wednesday called for urgent
clarification "after negative comments on wind energy were made by the
Energy Minister John Hayes in some of this morning's papers."The press
release noted Hayes' comments came the morning after he addressed 400
industry delegates at the association's annual conference and spoke in
favour of renewables.  The release added Hayes spoke of the need for
clarity and certainty in renewable energy policy to create the right
framework for investment.  "It comes as some surprise that the new
Minister has said one thing to us and another to the press," Smith was
quoted as saying.  "We are on the eve of the publication of the Energy
Bill, a crucial time for energy policy, with huge investment decisions
to be made that will lead to tens of thousands of jobs over the next
decade," Smith said. "If we are to see these jobs and investment
realized, confidence must be retained and that means consistency."

Smith also said the wind industry is already delivering jobs, growth and
investment whilst de-carbonising the UK's electricity sector.Prior to
Hayes' comments, RenewableUK issued a different press release saying the
wind industry is on track to power 1 in 10 homes by 2015, coming second
only to natural gas as the largest single source of UK electricity by
2020.  The press release said the report, Wind Energy in the UK, notes
that from June 2011 to September 2012, the UK's wind energy capacity
grew by a quarter (1,825MW).  "We have taken significant strides
forward," RenewableUK Chief Executive Maria McCaffery said, adding
2011-12 saw overall capital investment in the offshore wind industry
rise by 60% to £1.5bn and a record amount of onshore wind capacity
approved.  "These strong figures underline the importance of a secure
trading climate to attract investment, especially in difficult times."

In another plus for the UK wind sector, a story on the Clean Technology
Business Review (CTBR) website noted that the London Array Offshore Wind
Farm, located in the Thames Estuary, produced the first power on Monday,
from 15 turbines installed on the site.  The CTBR story said work on the
870-MW wind farm, owned by Dong Energy, E.ON and Masdar, is expected to
be finished by the end of the year.The story also quoted Masdar CEO
Sultan Al Jaber as saying "the London Array development is an example of
the true potential and commercial viability of renewable energy."

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