fewcott windfarm

Why Wind?

There are many reasons to support the development of wind energy in the UK, here are a few:

It is a safe way to produce electricity; many alternative forms of electricity generation, such as nuclear, utilise harmful substances during the generation process
It is a clean way to produce electricity; wind energy does not produce any harmful emissions
It is a sensible way to produce energy; the wind is free compared with rising fossil fuel prices and potential difficulties associated with fuel availability.
The UK is the windiest country in Europe
No matter how much wind we use today, there will still be the same supply in the future
Wind energy is projected to be the cheapest form of electricity by 2020. (Source: Sustainable Development Commission)
At the end of a windfarm's lifespan, it is easy to decommission and return the ground back to its former use

Climate change and the law

The EU Climate and Energy package, formally agreed in April 2009, commits the EU to achieving a reduction in EU greenhouse gas emissions of 20% by 2020, increasing to up to 30% in the event of an international agreement on climate change, compared to 1990 levels. The package includes a binding renewables target of 20%. The UK's share of this target is to deliver 15% of all energy needs (electricity, transport, heat) in the form of renewable energy by 2020.

The Climate Change Act, which came into force in November 2008, creates a new legal framework for the UK to reduce, through domestic and international action, greenhouse gas emissions to at least 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. The Government is required to set five-year carbon budgets, which place binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions and define the trajectory towards the 2050 target. The levels of the first three carbon budgets were approved by Parliament in May 2009, and are now set in law. They require greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced by at least 34% in the third budget period (ending 2022), relative to 1990 levels.

The UK Renewable energy strategy (July 2009) sets out how we will achieve our obligations and targets.
More than 30% of our electricity generated from renewables, by 2020 up from about
5.5% today.

Benefits;This Strategy will help us tackle climate change, reducing the UK's emissions of carbon dioxide by over 750 million tonnes between now and 2030. It will also promote the security of our energy supply, reducing our overall fossil fuel demand by around 10% and gas imports by 20-30%. Additionally it will help create up to half a million more jobs in renewable industries. Modelling suggests that renewables could provide more than 30% of our electricity (compared to around 5.5% today); more than two-thirds of this could come from on and offshore wind.