Wind power - Information For Policy Makers and Householders

    /24-7PressRelease/ - London, UK, July 11, 2005 - As part of an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while enhancing energy security, wind power in the UK is set to be used in the UK Government's target to increase the contribution of renewables to UK electricity to 10% by 2010 and 20% by 2020. A new report issued by the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) contains information on wind power to help policy-makers balance local concerns with wider environmental needs.

SDC chairman Jonathon Porritt said, "Climate change will have a devastating impact unless urgent action is taken to boost the contribution of renewables alongside energy efficiency measures. We believe wind power is a critically important part of the overall energy mix, and hope that this authoritative guide will ensure wind power is harnessed in the most responsible way in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions."

As well as acting as a practical guide for those involved in wind farm development, the report highlights that the UK has the best and most geographically diverse wind resources in Europe - more than enough to meet current renewable energy targets.

Commenting in the report foreword, Sir Tom Blundell, former Chairman of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, says, "I am pleased to note that the SDC report confirms that wind is both the cheapest and one of the most abundant of the UK's renewable resources. At current levels of gas prices, and certainly if credit is given for its carbon-free status in line with current Government estimates of the social cost of carbon, it is already cost-competitive with gas-fired electricity on the best onshore wind sites, and seems likely to be the cheapest of all forms of power generation by 2020 on such sites, even without a carbon credit."

Both reports are available on the SDC website (http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/media/list/wind.html) and in the practical help section of the EST website.

The Energy Saving Trust works to promote the use of sustainable and renewable energy, encourage energy efficiency in industry and highlight ways to save energy within the home. We are also committed to reducing carbon dioxide (co2) emissions, one of the key contributors to climate change.

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