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One step forward, one step back in race for renewables deadline



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Published Date: 05 September 2008
By NICK GREEN
Member of Savills' renewable energy group
THE wholesale reform of the Scottish planning system is scheduled to take effect from the start of 2009. The aim is to speed up the decision-making process and thus delivery of development in Scotland. This should, in theory, assist the Scottish Government in meeting its ambitious target of generating 50 per cent of electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
Yet, is it possible for Scotland to achieve targets set for the renewables sector and, having paved the way for a renewables revolution, what will Alex Salmond do about the UK government's intention not to subsidise transmission costs from the Highla...



The full article contains 664 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 04 September 2008 9:18 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

truthsleuth,

05/09/2008 00:37:51
Wind turbines are a very expensive way of meeting these targets. The subsidy from the taxpayer enables the wind generators to achieve rates of return of 40% on their investment.
For every 2Mwatt of Wind generation at least the same is required to cover 'calm' days and most of this would have to come from coal nuclear or gas.

If wind is used to meet current government targets it is forecast energy bills will have to increase by £400 per annum for the average household.

Like the 'dash for gas' the 'dash for wind' is yet another example of so called 'market economics'.
otherwise referred to as short term gain with long term pain for the customer.
2

Unimpressed one,

05/09/2008 07:57:34
Sounds like this guy is genuinely concerned about 'saving the planet'. Or could he be motivated by this:

"LAVISH subsidies and high electricity prices have turned Britain’s onshore wind farms into an extraordinary moneyspinner, with a single turbine capable of generating £500,000 of pure profit per year.

According to new industry figures, a typical 2 megawatt (2MW) turbine can now generate power worth £200,000 on the wholesale markets - plus another £300,000 of subsidy from taxpayers.

Since such turbines cost around £2m to build and last for 20 or more years, it means they can pay for themselves in just 4-5 years and then produce nothing but profit.

The lucrative outlook has led to a surge in planning applications for new windfarms. There are already 165 wind farms operating 1,944 turbines in Britain but another 34 are under construction, a further 118 have planning consent and 220 are under consideration, according to new figures from the British Wind Energy Association. "

 

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