Extracts from the March-April 2003 edition of Renew
These extracts only represent about 25% of it

6. Wales likes Wind power

An independent telephone survey by Market Research Wales, commissioned by environmental group Friends of the Earth Cymru has revealed very high support for more Welsh windfarms both on and offshore. FoE Cymru say that the findings indicate that the much-publicised opposition to wind energy stems from a consistently small minority, not the disenfranchised majority as often believed or portrayed.

The survey of 500 adults in late Aug and early Sept last year found that 71% of public in Wales would support a doubling of the current 360 onshore wind turbines in Wales, compared to 18 % against.

FoE Cymru say that about 700 onshore wind turbines would do much to secure the greenhouse gas reductions needed to achieve the UK’s 2010 Kyoto commitments. A second question revealed that, given the choice of either 600 offshore wind turbines sited over four miles from the coast or a new nuclear power station (which would generate the same average amount of electricity overall), 87% favoured the offshore windfarms. Only 5% favoured a new nuclear power station, 1 in 17. Those stating a preference for nuclear power were noticeably more likely to be from socio-economic groups DE and aged 55 plus. Highest of the high support for both on and offshore windfarms were from socio-economic group AB and the 16-34 age range. The results were broadly similar for all regions of Wales.

FoE Cymru point out that all previous independent surveys since the early 1990’s have shown similarly high levels of support for onshore wind energy. They say that the latest poll is remarkable given the high level of damaging misinformation about the technology circulating in public debate. They say that the scale of support for offshore wind energy is just remarkable by any standards. Even so, FoE Cmyru are still concerned that anti-windfarm groups particularly CPRW, who, they say, have not discounted new nuclear power stations, are using spoiling tactics to damage wind energy. ‘They are slowing every windfarm proposal in the planning and public inquiry process, thwarting progress towards the UK’s 2010 renewable electricity target. This is giving UK energy minister Brian Wilson another excuse to support the building of new nuclear power stations in the forthcoming Energy White Paper.’

Neil Crumpton, FoE Cymru energy spokesperson, said, ‘the survey questions were very specific and the findings are very good news for both the Welsh economy and the wider environment. The (Welsh) Assembly has strong economic and environmental reasons to set progressive renewable energy policies for Wales and this survey provides hard evidence that the majority of people in Wales would support such policies. Overall there is a four to one majority for doubling onshore turbine numbers in Wales. Even in mid Wales, where there are numerous windfarms already and debate has been most focused, the majority is still nearly three to one in favour of further onshore schemes. This echoes a recent student’s thesis indicating 63% support for the Cefn Croes scheme, despite being a cause-celebre of a concerted opposition campaign. The poll suggests that the Welsh public can see through the high but thin veil of controversy-provoking mythology about wind energy. Few people support the building of new nuclear power stations. Instead, there is substantial support for further onshore and large scale offshore windfarm deployments. We think that UK Energy Minister Brian Wilson and anti-windfarm groups, notably CPRW, should acknowledge that nuclear power is not popular or necessary and that wind power is popular and is necessary.’

The full poll is at: www.foecymru.co.uk / www.cyddcymru.co.uk

* The Cwmni Gwynt Teg farmer-owned wind power scheme, at Moelogan Fawr Llanrwst, which has three 1.3 MW turbines, had an open day last year which attracted about 1,200-1,500 people. Evidently, locally owned projects like this are popular. But even the large offshore projects seem to popular. The North Hoyle scheme got passed with ‘virtually no opposition’ according to Brian Wilson talking on BBC Wales. And the COWL Rhyl Flats scheme is making progress. However, the Scarweather Sands offshore scheme is being opposed by a SOS Porthcawl group. See: www.sosporthcawl.com.

Wales: 20% from renewables by 2010?

The Economic Development Committee of the National Assembly for Wales has produced a report entitled, ‘Review of Energy Policy in Wales, Renewable Energy’ which suggests that Wales should aim at a benchmark of 4 terawatt hours of electricity per annum from renewable sources by 2010. That would be just over 10 per cent. of the electricity actually generated in Wales, but close to 20 per cent of overall Welsh consumption. Introducing a debate on the report in the Welsh Assembly in January, Phil Williams commented: ‘We recognise that if the UK is to meet an overall target of 10% by 2010, richly endowed areas such as Wales must do better than that to compensate for areas such as London, where a similar 10% target would be unrealistic. This benchmark is challenging, but it can be achieved by projects that have already been proposed, at least in outline. About one third of the electricity would come from onshore wind, one third from offshore wind, and a third from hydro-electric schemes, biomass, landfill gas, photo-voltaic cells, and from exploiting tidal currents with underwater turbines. That does not mean covering every hill in Wales with turbines. If you work out the sums, an extra 200 turbines are required on land, and perhaps 150 at sea. These should be built on the optimum locations, and I commend the work of the Countryside Council for Wales, which is using geographic information systems data to define those areas. These include areas that are out of sight of any national park and are remote from any housing, areas that do not affect any sites of special scientific interest, special areas of conservation, Ramsar sites, or any sites of archaeological significance, and areas that do not infringe any ancient forestry. If you apply all reasonable restraints to location, there are still plenty of sites with high average wind speed.’

The debate then covered the usual issues- local visual intrusion, including impacts from offshore wind farms, with reports of local opposition to the proposed project off Porthcawl. There was also the ritual appeal for nuclear power to be considered as an option. Phil Edward neatly summed the debate up in his final remarks, by arguing firstly that ‘when people say that wind turbines set 50 meters apart and more than 6 kilometres offshore will destroy the surf and take all the sand away, and that we will be ankle-deep in dead birds, the disinformation must be challenged’ and then added that ‘nuclear power stations need to be built by the sea and near a major super gridline. I can think of a suitable spot for one, which would not be far from Porthcawl’.

The report was accepted by 41 votes to none with 5 abstentions, with the Minister promising to produce a response to be fed into the UK-wide Energy White paper. The debate will be covered in detail in Renew 143.

…. but some Scots not so keen

160 megawatts of wind power has already been built in Scotland and another 200 MW is under development, and it is usually argued that getting planning consent is easier there. For example, according to the BWEA, Scotland has approved 93% of applications to build wind farms since 1999 compared with 60% in England and 12% in Wales.

However, the 60 turbine offshore wind farm planned for Solway Firth has met with strong local opposition. The Scottish Executive, which has the final say on the £150m project, is under pressure to hold a public inquiry on the project following resistance from local residents- last year Dumfries and Galloway council received more than 200 objections. The wind farm would be on a sandbank, in the middle of Solway Firth, 5.3 miles from the Scottish mainland, and 5.9 miles from the English side- and objections have also come from Cumbria and Allerdale Councils.

* Meanwhile, the new anti wind group Views of Scotland has been making its presence felt: see www.viewsofscotland.org