Government to boost UK wind energy capacity

By Rich Bowden, M&C Staff Writer Dec 10, 2007, 9:20 GMT

A file picture dated 24 May 2007 shows the sunset on a wind farm near Haringvliet lake in the Netherlands. EPA/OLIVIER HOSLET

(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.

Business 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.