Government to boost UK wind energy capacity

(M&C) - The government has unveiled plans to expand the country's wind energy capacity by opening up the surrounding seas for offshore wind farms. A file picture dated 24 May 2007 shows the sunset on a wind farm near Haringvliet lake in the Netherlands. EPA/OLIVIER HOSLET

A file picture dated 24 May 2007 shows the sunset on a wind farm near Haringvliet lake in the Netherlands. EPA/OLIVIER HOSLETBusiness secretary John Hutton will outline the plans at a Berlin energy conference to create 25 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity from an additional 7,000 new wind turbines by 2020. The wind farms will be in addition to those currently under construction and would see Britain's electricity from wind power more than double that of any country.Mr Hutton said to the Financial Times, "If we could manage to achieve this, by 2020 enough electricity could be generated off our shores to power the equivalent of all of the UK's homes.""The challenge for government and for industry is to turn this potential - for our energy and economy - into a cost-effective reality. This will be a major challenge," he added."It is going to change our coastline, yes for sure. There is no way of making that shift to a low carbon technology without there being change and without that change being visible and evident to people," Hutton said. "We've got a choice as a country whether we rise to the challenge... or stick our head in the sand and hope it (climate change) goes away."Nick Rau of the environmental group the Friends of the Earth welcomed the government's initiative. "Making Britain a world leader in this form of energy will create jobs, boost the economy and help put Britain at the forefront in the battle to combat climate change," he said.If successful the plan would put Britain well on the path to reach the European Union’s target of providing 20 percent of the country’s energy from renewable resources by 2020.

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Charles CrosbyDec 10th, 2007 - 10:14:56

What a great idea, lets turn our coast line into an ugly monstrosity with mickey mouse inefficient or next to useless wind turbines that don't work in strong winds and don't work on still cold mornings.

Never mind think of all the tourist benefits these beautiful wind turbines will bring in.

How are these illegitimates getting away with this rape of our coastal landscapes and all in the name of a lie - 'Man Made Global Warming'

Wake up Britain, they're extracting the urine out of you!!

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rickyDec 10th, 2007 - 17:46:55

charles crosby is obviously an ignorant fool!

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tonny from belgiumJan 4th, 2008 - 10:03:37

I'd rather say he is badly informed.Turbines could be installed on sandbanks ,away from the coast,perfect spots to hide them and yet very efficient as the surrounding sea offers perfect working conditions .Already turbines are the cheapest way of producing energy ,unfortunately they generate no profit for the oil lobby.Those guys only gain more and more as oil prices surge.No wonder all these lies against global warming keep appearing,in flagrant contradiction with all the recorded facts like temperature charts and the surge of climate induced disasters .But when facts collide with the interest of the ruling oil lobby,facts will be downplayed.These oil tycoons rented the same public relation firm that successfully managed to advocate smoking is no health hazard,they even found scientists to back them.

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