At least so say those with a vested interest in wind power. In the to-and-fro over wind there are advocacies on both sides with a dog in the fight. The actual experience with wind however has not been a happy one with find failing when needed. This is not really a surprise since we experience extremes of hot and cold weather partly because of the absence of wind and we need more power during such events.
A new study into the efficiency and reliability of wind farms has concluded that a campaign against them by Conservative backbenchers and others is not supported by the evidence.
The report, from the left-leaning thinktank IPPR in association with the leading energy consultancy GL Garrad Hassan, concludes there is no technical reason why turbines should not be supported.
Reg Platt, an IPPR fellow, said government and local communities were right to scrutinise costs and planning issues, but that the report showed “unequivocally that wind power can significantly reduce carbon emissions, is reliable, poses no threat to energy security and is technically capable of providing a significant proportion of the UK’s electricity with minimal impact on the existing operation of the grid”.
Claims to the contrary are not supported by the evidence, said Platt, who pointed out that the study had been peer-reviewed by Nick Jenkins, the head of the Institute of Energy at Cardiff University.
The economic model GL Garrad Hassan adopted showed that every megawatt-hour of electricity wind power produced led to carbon savings of a minimum of 350kg.
