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HSGWAG. Helmdon, Stuchbury and Greatworth Wind Farm Action Group
Wind is not working in Denmark
Last week the Daily Telegraph reported that Denmark's giant state owned power company, Dong Energy, would abandon future onshore wind farms. The U turn is due to increasing public opposition and the cut in subsidies which has been propping up the Industry.
Denmark is a pioneer of wind generated electricity, with over 4000 turbines. However public anger towards them has become nationally organised and very vocal. Earlier this year, a new national anti-wind body, Neighbours of Large Wind Turbines, was created and more than 40 civic groups have become members.
"People are fed up with having their property devalued and sleep ruined by noise from large wind turbines" says the association's president, Boye Jensen Odsherred. Such complaints are common place around the globe where turbines have been erected, despite Government and Developer claims to the contrary.
The other equally stark reality is that despite the volume of turbines erected, Denmark actually uses very little of the electricity generated from turbines. As the electricity cannot be stored, much of it ends up being exported to other countries because the wind blowing does not correspond to when demands are highest. Previous reports have also highlighted that due to traditional fossil fuel power plants having to be ramped up to cope with wind's fluctuations, carbon emissions have actually increased - blowing the whole argument for wind power on this scale out of the water.
John Constable, research Director for the Renewable Energy Foundation is equally realistic about wind power's abilities. As Britain has no way of exporting power out to other countries he believes that it's a "leap in the dark" because our Government "simply doesn't know how to integrate the very large fleets of wind turbines that they are blithely introducing".
For the full article, click here
Last week the Daily Telegraph reported that Denmark's giant state owned power company, Dong Energy, would abandon future onshore wind farms. The U turn is due to increasing public opposition and the cut in subsidies which has been propping up the Industry.
Denmark is a pioneer of wind generated electricity, with over 4000 turbines. However public anger towards them has become nationally organised and very vocal. Earlier this year, a new national anti-wind body, Neighbours of Large Wind Turbines, was created and more than 40 civic groups have become members.
"People are fed up with having their property devalued and sleep ruined by noise from large wind turbines" says the association's president, Boye Jensen Odsherred. Such complaints are common place around the globe where turbines have been erected, despite Government and Developer claims to the contrary.
The other equally stark reality is that despite the volume of turbines erected, Denmark actually uses very little of the electricity generated from turbines. As the electricity cannot be stored, much of it ends up being exported to other countries because the wind blowing does not correspond to when demands are highest. Previous reports have also highlighted that due to traditional fossil fuel power plants having to be ramped up to cope with wind's fluctuations, carbon emissions have actually increased - blowing the whole argument for wind power on this scale out of the water.
John Constable, research Director for the Renewable Energy Foundation is equally realistic about wind power's abilities. As Britain has no way of exporting power out to other countries he believes that it's a "leap in the dark" because our Government "simply doesn't know how to integrate the very large fleets of wind turbines that they are blithely introducing".
For the full article, click here
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