FACTS ABOUT WIND POWER

Wind turbines cannot generate electricity if the wind is too light or too strong. The two power stations at Heysham produce 2400 megawatts (MW). It would take 960 x 2.5 MW turbines running 24 hours a day for 7 days a week to match that. Because wind turbines only produce about 30% of their full capacity (i.e. 1 day in 3) we still could not close Heysham.

*Wind energy is not free. The product cannot be stored and feeding it into the national grid is complex and costly - a bill ultimately paid by the consumer.

*All wind turbines need reliable back up to maintain uninterrupted supplies to the national grid when the wind is not blowing. These have to be available at short notice, which means running, which means burning fossil fuel. So any reduction in CO2 emissions derived from wind energy is minuscule, unless nuclear power is the chosen alternative. Any number of windfarms cannot replace a single conventional power station without inviting frequent blackouts.

*Developers claim their turbines will last 20-25 years. Those at Caton Moor (Lancs), Ovenden (Yorks), Cold Northcote (Cornwall), and two in Wales are being replaced after just 9-12 years - naturally with even larger turbines.

*The rush for onshore windfarms is wholly in pursuit of profit. It is acknowledged both inside and outside the wind industry that offshore installations are more efficient, but at least 30% more expensive to build. Developers can cut their costs building onshore. But there is still a cost penalty - for the local community in the form of reduced tourist attendance, consequent job losses and falling property values.

WIND POWER AND THE ENVIRONMENT

*DEFRA recently commissioned research by Casella Stanger into the hazards of 'infrasound' - frequencies of 20 cycles per second or less (well below the lowest note on a piano). It identifies infrasound as a source of stress-related illness, and cites wind turbines amongst the common hazards. As yet, Environmental Health Officers are ill equipped to measure levels and effects of infrasound pollution.

*The Northwest contains some of England's last tracts of wilderness greatly valued by wildlife as well as people. Such areas are a major overwintenng and migration area for birds, including declining species such as the Hen Harrier, Merlin, Skylark and Lapwing. These will be directly threatened by inappropriate siting of wind farms.

*In 2001 the Government gave greater protection to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs). It is therefore perverse to allow developers to consider developments in or adjacent to an AONB.

*Each turbine requires some 1000 tons of concrete to provide it with a stable footing, to say nothing of the materials needed to build service roads. The process of making cement is extremely polluting. Introducing these quantities of foreign matter into a delicate eco-system is bound to be damaging - that is why development constraints exist in rural areas.

ENERGY SAVING

*UK electricity consumption has grown steadily since 1990 and by 2020 is expected to increase by another 15 to 20%. Worldwide, demand is expected to double by 2050. Wind power cannot satisfy this growth let alone reduce overall usage.

*The only way to reduce CO2 emissions significantly is to burn less fossil fuel. That means using less electricity through greater incentives to reduce consumption and more investment in energy saving technology. A recent EU study shows that we could easily reduce energy consumption by 18% by 2020, if the will existed.

*The Government invests far more in wind power than in energy saving. Between 1982 and 2000 wind power was the only renewable energy source receiving Government investment.

*If every home in the UK were given one more low energy light bulb, one conventional power station could be decommissioned.

*Solar energy is already perceived as the best renewable source for the future. The power generated is used locally and any excess can be fed into to the national grid, reducing both bills and demand on the grid.

GOVERNMENT POLICY

*The Government has no 'joined-up' energy policy linking conventional, nuclear and renewable sources. They are placing undue reliance on natural gas imported from the Middle East and Eastern Europe to meet our electricity needs when North Sea gas runs out in the next 15 years, and our existing nuclear power stations are decommissioned without replacement.

*To encourage private investment in their misguided 'green' energy policy the Government is manipulating local planning procedures to make it ever easier for developers to locate windfarms wherever they can make the biggest profits. This includes denying local authorities the right to determine consent for windfarms with a rated capacity of 50MW or more - one fortieth of the output of a typical conventional power station.

ECONOMIC ISSUES

*Sweden and The Netherlands have scrapped Government subsidies for wind power. Norway studied the Danish experience and decided not to provide any. Germany has realised that wind power is a 'bottomless pit' for subsidies.

*Property prices in an area targeted for a windfarm would fall by between 10% and 50%, according to proximity and impact. FPD Savills (a nationally recognised estate agency) have estimated a fall of around 30%.

*Tourism contributes 18% of Cumbria's GDP: just under £1 bn in 2003. In a recent survey over 20% of visitors stated they would be unlikely to return to the part of Cumbria they were visiting if more windfarms were built. Anecdotal reports suggest an even worse situation in Denmark - up to 40%.

The above information is issued by FELLS, Firbank House, Sedbergh, Cumbria, LA10 5EF
Phone/Fax: 015396-20465
The facts in this document are as accurate as possible, but details are subject to change from time to time. Industry sources are notably reluctant to give information on turbine performance and what they do release is not expressed in consistent terms. By all means question the foregoing, but please question just as closely anything put out by those favouring wind power.