Review takes the wind out of turbine sales

FARMERS are holding back on investing in wind-turbine technology because of concerns about how a current government review will affect the sector.

Julian Martin, chairman of the Renewable UK Medium Wind Group and a government adviser on the matter, said that Ministers must reassure farmers that the review on sustainable energy tariffs will not stifle projects.

Feed in tariffs are a subsidy which award generators of renewable energy a guaranteed payment for every unit of energy produced and every unit sold to the national grid.

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But concern is mounting about tariffs being soaked up by large-scale commercial solar projects instead of going to independent micro-generation schemes, such as are being set up by many British farmers and rural households.

Mr Martin said: “If the Government really wishes to combat climate change and cares about stimulating rural economic recovery, it needs to send out a clear message now about the future scope of the feed-in tariff mechanism.

Farming has faced a very tough economic climate since well before the financial crisis, and a growing number of farmers want to install wind turbines on their land and use the feed-in tariffs to supplement their incomes.

“However, many farms and agri-businesses concerned by this review are considering putting their plans to invest in medium-sized wind turbines on hold because of the delay until the findings are published.

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“This means that at least 12 months could be lost in introducing more wind turbines to help combat climate change and, crucially, to boost rural economies by providing a new revenue stream for landowners whose income has been hit very severely in the last few years.”

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