WINDPOWER

Windpower Reprieved?

The debate over windfarms has been re-balanced by the publication of a series of surveys of public opinion - confirming that the vast majority of people support windfarms, including people who live nearby. A report from the Welsh Affair Committee also rebuts some of the strategic issues raised by objectors, and supports further wind farm development in Wales. And while some projects continue to be opposed, windfarms are still spreading - with Scotland and Ireland next in line.

Support for Wind Kirby Moor

A study of 250 local residents near the 12 turbine windfarm at Kirkby Moor in Yorkshire was commissioned in February 1994, 6 months after start-up by National Wind Power. It revealed that:

82% supported the development of wind farms in the area and 84% thought that more energy should be generated from renewable sources;

83% were "not at all concerned" or "not very concerned" about the noise that they make;

Of those who could see the wind farm from their houses 77% were "not at all concerned" or "not very concerned" about the impact on the landscape.

Taff Ely

A study of 250 local residents near the 20 turbine wind farm at Taff Ely in Wales was commissioned in February 1994, 6 months after start-up, by East Midlands Electricity. It revealed that:

Only 2% strongly opposed the development of wind farms in the areas;

75% said that either they could not think of any disadvantages of wind power or there were no disadvantages;

Noise was not perceived as a problem with only 3% saying they could hear the wind farms from their homes.

These conclusions have been relayed by the British Wind Energy Association quite widely as part of its pro-wind campaign. This years BWEA Conference at Stirling reflected a new awareness of the need to respond to public concern. (see Renew 92 for a review of this conference)

Wind Farm Open Days

Further evidence on the level of public support has come from the reactions of visitors to windfarms at some recent Open days.. In March seven wind farms - Kirkby Moor, Haverigg, Coal Clough (North West), Blyth Harbour (North East), Bryn Titli (Wales), Cold Northcott, Delabole (South West) - invited the general public to assess for themselves the impact of wind turbines on the environment. Visitors were asked for their opinion before and after their visit and a total of 970 questionnaires were returned to the collection points. The results show that:

An overwhelming 92% of visitors said they approved of wind energy after their visit when only 80% were in favour of wind energy before their visit;

Only 7% of respondents said that after their visit they thought the noise of wind turbines was not acceptable and 85% of those who live within 1-5 miles of the sites found the noise level acceptable;

As regards the scenery, over two-thirds (68%) of respondents said that wind turbines did not spoil the view.

BWEA Response

Commenting on the new data on public reactions, Dr Ian Mays, Chairman of the British Wind Energy Association said "This research shows that wind power enjoys the support of the majority of people including those living near wind farms. Wind energy makes economic and environmental sense and has a vital role to play in a balanced energy policy aimed at securing a diverse and sustainable energy supply and a reduction in the emission of pollutants. The wind power industry provides new business for local firms, additional income for hard-pressed farmers and has significant export potential." Obviously some local opposition does exist, and in some cases it is very strong. But, according to the BWEA, although the minority anti-wind lobby has tried to turn local opinion against planned wind energy projects, the evidence suggests that their arguments are not supported by the majority. The BWEA can be contacted on 071 723 7033. Fax: 071 262 4405 at 42 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6EX.

RENEW 91 and 92 include Feature looking at the potential for and problems of locally owned wind farms and community technology generally.

A Very Fair Report

The Welsh Affairs Committe in its report on 'Wind Energy' effectively debunks many of the myths that have emerged about windfarms It is sharply critical of some of the evidence put forward by objectors - identifying factual errors in the submissions from Country Guardian, the Countryside Council for Wales and the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales.

In particular it concluded that windfarms could make a useful contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The moritorium which several of the objectors, including the Ramblers Association, called for, is not judged to be necessary. Instead the Committee concluded that 'within the framework of a robust, appropriate and locally accountable planning system, we see no objection to the continuing development of wind farms in Wales, subject to their environmental acceptibility'.

That said it felt that the powers of Local Authorities should be strengthened and that the final decision on specific projects should 'save in exeptional circumstances, rest with the local planning authorities', with wind projects being assesed in the context of the overall pattern of NFFO supported developments in the area.

No capacity targets were set, but overall the Committee suggested that 'perhaps double the present number of sites might receive planning permission up to the end of the century', implying up to 12 windfarms. However, the report was in no way a whitewash for the developers, some of whom are seen as having been insensitive to local issues. National Wind Power comes under particular scutiny and was criticized for not providing details, in confidence, of its economic arrangement, as other developers had. The Committee felt the NFFO had created some of the problems,eg creating a flurry of speculative bids that gave the impression of massive potential deployment, and it was also unhappy with some wind turbine designs eg lattice towers and the verical axes design being used at Werta, only five of which have so far been installed.

The Committee received over 200 written representations from a wide range of parties including objectors and concerned local residents. It recognised that there had been problems, but overall felt that far from being overwhelmed by a profusion of projects, the planning system could respond 'without any need to turn parts of Wales into wind farm dominated landscapes'

The report is reviewed in detail in Renew 92.

Wales Still Objects

Although the overall level of support is clear from opinion polls, local opposition to wind farms has continued in some key areas in Wales, with some bitter views being expressed, as Brian John notes (see Features), with wind power supporters, even people independent of wind development companies, often getting hostile receptions at local meetings.

A sample of negative views was included in BBC Wales 'Week in, Week out', a TV programme screened earlier this year (24/5/94) most of them focusing on the problems with the 10 machine Ecogen wind farm at Llandinam. Judging by the tone of local meetings this has been the break point for many local people - even if objectors still remain in the minority, at least according to the survey commissioned by the Countryside Council for Wales (see Renew 90) which questioned local residents around three existing Welsh wind farms, including Llandinam. Of those questioned

86 per cent believed that the turbines caused little disruption and

70 per cent would favour the development of further wind farms.

(Wind Turbine Power Station Construction Monitoring Study. Chris Blandford Associates in association with University of Wales Feb 1994).

Never the less, Ecogens plan for a 20MW wind farm at Blaencorrwg in W. Glamorgan, and Westwind's proposals for 20 turbine wind farms at Kidwelly and Llansaint in Dyfed, have been turned down on the grounds of visual intrusion.

Mixed Views in England?

The debate over the windfarm being constructed on St Breocks Down, in Cornwall , continues... Three Views of St Breock Down

"Earth which has lain untouched for 4000 years has been dug up to prepare the way for eleven 175 ft windturbines" Piers McGrandle. The Times 4/6/94.
"The modern landscape at St Breock Down is a twentieth century creation which has been ploughed flat, grassed over and fenced in recent years". Steve Hartgroves, Cornwall Archaeological Unit.
"The new Ecogen windfarm is a symbol of a sustainable future harmonising with the standing store as a symbol of the past".Tim Kirby, EcoGen.

In Yorkshire, the windfam proposed for Flaight Hill near Hebden Bridge has not gained planning permission- following a major national and local campaign against it. However a partly wind powered hospital near Ashington in Northumberland won an energy efficiency award, sponsored by the Heating and Ventilation Contractor's Association and the Independent on Sunday. Wanbeck Hospital has an airtight membrane on the walls, to limit energy losses, and a 100kw windturbine supplies nearly 10% of the power need to run wards and operating theatres.

Even so, the campaign against windfarms in the UK has two powerful new recruits. Firstly, in the TV documentary about his life and views Prince Charles commented

'I'm dead worried that they're going to go too far like they have in Denmark. The whole place is knee deep in these damn things'.
Secondly, according to the Telegraph (Sept 27) Neil Kinnock MP has become a patron of the Country Guardian anti- windfarm lobbying group.

Irish Wind

Northern Ireland's 15MW NFFO was nearly five times oversubscribed, with around 45 applications, representing around 70 MW DNC - ten or so for wind projects. Originally some 64 schemes were proposed (80MW worth) but they were whittled down on the basis of generation price. Twenty projects were finally agreed (15.6 MW DNC), including six wind projects, three sewage gas, and nine micro-hydro.

The B-9 wind developer got all three of its 10 turbine wind farm projects through - and it already has planning permission at the sites in County Londonderry and Antrim.

Meanwhile the Republic of Ireland is planning to provide £15m worth of subsidies to help support 30MW of wind projects, 45MW of other renewables, together making up the national 75MW target.One round of bids with 15 year contracts is envisaged.

However there may yet ne some problems., in the from of a possible constitutional challenge to Government planning regulations in relation to a wind project in Co. Kerry, Ireland.

Twenty nine local farmers and landowners are challenging planning permission given to the ESB, the Irish utility, for a wind farm on Mount Eagle in North Kerry, with a 38 kv grid link. They claim that the Government has not complied with the European Union's requirement that an environmental impact assessment be carried out. If sustained this challenge would have implications for other wind projects in Eire. Source: Irish Times 4/8/94.

Scottish Renewables

The 30-40MW Scottish Renewable Energy Order was also heavily oversubscribed, with 190 projects bidding for support. The results will be announced in October.

Planning for Wind Power

Friends of the Earth have challenged wind power developers and local planners to ensure high quality, publicly supported wind power projects continue to appear in the countryside. FoE's new guidelines 'Planning for Wind Power' calls on developers to adopt best practice and provide communities near proposed windfarms with detailed project information and opportunities for meaningful consultation. At the same time, local planners and politicians should ensure that their decision about a particular proposal fully reflects the opinion of the local population as a whole and not merely those of a sometimes vociferous anti-wind power minority. Fiona Weightman, Friends of the Earth's Renewable Energy Campaigner, said: 'Friends of the Earth believes that well-informed local people will act responsibly as the true guardians of our countryside and give their support to appropriate wind power projects. By using these guidelines, developers and planners can ensure that well-designed, locally supported wind projects will progress and the positive environmental benefits of wind power will be gained.' Friends of the Earth believes that the recent controversy surrounding wind farm developments reported in the media stems from four factors:

- lack of information for the public on the likely impacts and benefits of wind power;

- a small contingent of anti-wind power activists distributing misinformation;

- a failure by some wind power developers to provide full public information to local residents;

- a failure by some local planners to assess fully local public opinion, wrongly assuming a vocal minority as representative of broader sentiments.

In contrast to media reported anti-wind power sentiment, public opinion poll have continued to emphasise strong majority support for wind power developments. Friends of the Earth's guidelines for developers and planners therefore outline appropriate standards and practices for project siting, Environmental Impact Assessments, public consultation and noise targets. Planning for Wind Power - Guidelines for project developers and local planners. FoE, May 1994, The report is reviewed in Renew 91. The British Wind Energy Association has also produced a set of guidlines See Renew 92.

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