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Tory MPs urge Cameron to cut subsidies for windfarms
DAVID Cameron is under fresh pressure from his own backbenchers to slash subsidies for controversial onshore wind farms.
Dozens of Tory MPs are joining forces in a new group pressing for the Government to review funding for a technology they argue does “more harm than good”.
Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams, one of those who attended the group’s first meeting, urged the Prime Minister to act in the House of Commons yesterday by focusing support on “cost-effective and reliable” technologies like biomass rather than “inefficient, costly, large-scale onshore wind farms”.
He told the Yorkshire Post onshore wind farms were “cash cows” and added: “One person’s subsidy is another person’s tax, but if you do have this pot of money to encourage green energy I’d much rather see if be used on proven, reliable, cost-effective technology like biomass.”
The group, led by Daventry MP Chris Heaton-Harris, marks a significant shift in pressure on the Government from its own MPs over onshore wind farms which have often proved controversial, particularly when located near some of Yorkshire’s beauty spots.
Hundreds more turbines are planned across Yorkshire which are already sparking strong campaigns. Supporters say wind farms are essential to cut pollution, but critics claim increases in energy bills are partly due to the subsidies and say wind is unreliable.
Mr Adams added: “When I was elected 20 months ago there was a small number of colleagues very concerned about the onward march of large scale wind farms. Given the number of people who turned up at the meeting and expressed their concern about this, it’s clear that the Government needs to listen.”
Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith, who also backed the group, said: “Worried communities across North Yorkshire are crying out for much clearer rules so that this balance between energy, planning, landscape and environment is better enshrined in law.”
Mr Heaton Harris said his main aim in mobilising MPs was “to try and get the Government to stop for a few weeks and fundamentally review its massive support (through subsidy) for a renewable technology that I believe does more harm than good”.
Responding to Mr Adams, the Prime Minister said yesterday that the Government would target funding at “only the most cost-effective onshore wind farms” because it was “now one of the mature and cheaper technologies”. He said support should be increased “for an expansion in sustainable biomass generation, which is reliable and cost-effective”.
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 4 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Nlys
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 05:17 PMIt is blatently obvious that the subsidy system does not discriminate in favour of sites with a better wind resource. Indeed we have seen some companies boast that generous subsidies allow them to develop 'easy' low wind sites: "Historically, wind farm developers have chased the windiest sites to optimise returns... Your Energy believes that the Renewables Obligation together with technological advances allow a new approach ..." (Your Energy Ltd., ‘Moorsyde’ Brochure). Because it is over-generous (it has been repeatedly criticised as such by Ofgem, the Audit Office and parliamentary committees) we see floods of applications in low wind areas of Eastern England and the Midlands. The Government has been saying it will target funding “only the most cost-effective onshore wind farms” since they came into power - nothing has happened.
MADawes1
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 04:47 PMI live in Wales where we are threated by these ghastly and subsidy grabbing monsters which only produce a fraction of their installed capacity. I have also just been rewarded with the collapse of an equally inefficient scheme to generate electricity by burning wood chip at Bishops Castle in Shropshire after a 5 year campain. Do not be fooled into thinking biomass is the future. The BC scheme was only 15% efficient which compares withthe 40% 0f Drax or the 90% of Avedor It depends on the technology and integration of the sytem into district heating or refrigeration or both(trigeneration) It all requires subsidy none of it is economic in its own right. Probably the best option is co generation as at Drax but the fuel has to be imported and there are concerns over deafforrestation with all the complex carbon realease interactions. So beware there is no such thing as a free lunch.
Big Bert
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 10:08 AMThere is a brilliant petition to reduce the subsidy to wind farms. This is paid for by us all on our electricty bills and those of British industry, It is the reason we are seeing so many unsuitable applications all over the country. Please take time to GOOGLE REDUCE ELECTRICITY BILLS PETITION 22704 AND VOTE. This petition is gathering momentum but we need your help to drive it forward. Please Email it and Tweet it to friends and family.Thank You.
norfolkboy14
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 09:15 AMGet behind this new initiative - please google "petitions 22958" follow the link and sign up to add your support. Get your friends to do the same.
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