Renewable revolution failing to launch
THE Westcountry's renewables revolution is failing to launch as figures revealed "green" power equates to only 1 per cent of the region's energy needs.
Despite being blessed with windy conditions, powerful waves and one of the biggest tidal ranges in the world, Regen SW says change is needed "on a much larger scale" if it is to contribute meaningfully to reducing carbon emissions and improving energy security.
After surveying every green energy project in the seven counties of the South West, the agency says the sector has grown by 10 per cent in the last year to 211 megawatts (MW), which is enough to power roughly all the houses in Plymouth and Exeter combined.
But the pace of growth is slow, and the body underlined it is well short of the regional target of more than 7,000 MW – 15 per cent of the region's energy needs – by 2020.
Growth in renewable electricity, stripped away from heat produced by devices such as wood fuel, was particularly sluggish.
Central to the problem is the antipathy towards wind turbines in the countryside, with critics claiming the "industrial-scale wind energy stations" are a blot on the landscape.
Merlin Hyman, chief executive of Regen SW, said: "This task (the 15 per cent target) will require change on a much larger scale, and the low increase in renewable electricity shows that we have a long way to go."
With 37 per cent of the region's total, Cornwall once again boasts the biggest share of renewable energy. Devon stays in second place with 21 per cent.
While the renewable share has bumped along at close to 1 per cent for many years, green energy proponents are optimistic a number of projects are moving into view.
Next year, construction work is expected to begin on both the world's largest commercial wave farm off the north Cornwall coast and 22 wind turbines on Fullabrook Down in North Devon, which would represent England's biggest wind farm to date.
Meanwhile, the Government is drawing up a shortlist of tidal energy projects on the Severn estuary, which has the potential to create 5 per cent of power needed in the UK. It is unlikely to be complete within the next decade.
But the renewables industry argues onshore wind farms remain the short-term alternative to diminishing natural resources that have prompted fears over energy shortfalls. Around a quarter of all renewable energy in the region comes from onshore wind. Regen SW's annual Survey of Renewable Electricity and Heat Projects in South West England pointed out five wind farms were approved by South West councillors in the last year.
Torridge District Council signed off on Galsworthy wind farm, representing the region's first rural wind farm approval at a committee for over ten years.
But it added councillors refused three wind farms last year – a "repowering" at an existing wind farm at Carland Cross near Truro, Dunsland Cross near Holsworthy and Goverton near Kingsbridge.
Of meeting the 15 per cent target, Mr Hyman said: "It's encouraging that we have more than 150 MW of renewable electricity approved, waiting to be built, but we need much more. It's therefore essential we, as a region, move more quickly when deciding on, and building, renewable electricity projects."
The long-standing opposition to wind farms is particularly acute in the countryside where protesters have labelled them "monsters".
Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband's recent warning that communities in the Westcountry have "no option" but to support a massive expansion of wind farms re-ignited the debate.
Ricky White, a member of the Green Party in North Devon, who champions onshore wind, said the survey showed the region is not making the most of its resources.
But Nick Harvey, Lib-Dem MP for North Devon, who strongly opposed the Fullabrook scheme, said: "The fact it has been 1 per cent forever is all the evidence one needed wind technology was not what was going to drive things forward. We need to look to the sea."
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by David, Chilla
Wednesday, June 17 2009, 7:10AM
“One of the greatest assets of the region is tourism, not wind power. And, yes, they are mutually exclusive. A wind turbine is an industrial unit; covering the region in them will have a bigger impact on the local tourist economy than people realise. There is also the ongoing dilemma that the pro wind fanatics can't answer, namely back up generation. What does happen when the wind stops blowing?”
by Susanne, Carbis Bay
Tuesday, June 16 2009, 11:45AM
“I am surprised when I see new houses being built without having solar panels installed at that time - surely that would be cheaper than having them fitted later.”
by Frank, Holsworthy
Friday, June 12 2009, 7:19PM
“If we don't hitch up to the next generation of nuclear power reactors, we'd might as well switch off the lights (literally) and close the doors.
Manufacturing, as we have seen recently played out in our ailing automobile industry, what is left of it, is on its knees in this country. But we still have left an industry which is not based on hairdressing and celebrity media culture - but only just. It's based on intellectual property whose ownership resides in clever people - scientists and engineers - who are our country's only hope.
A new generation of nuclear power is undoubtedly the way ahead and spells a prosperity for this country that few can envision.
Let's get on with it.”
by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Friday, June 12 2009, 5:05PM
“:| Dippedy do; it's now well over 50 years since the Queen opened the world's first nuclear power station at Calder Hall in Cumberland, and from my perspective, far from us all dying, we are know all living too long! . Unless everyone in the future can manage without the National Grid, and survive with irregular low-voltage supplies, then I believe they will need to embrace nuclear.”
by dippedy doo, devon
Friday, June 12 2009, 7:12AM
“I'm not standing up for wind power, I don't have enough reliable information to say yeah or nay - and neither, I suspect, do any commentors here - but I do have facts and figures for nuclear and I *really* don't like what I see.”
by Lemming, Plymouth
Thursday, June 11 2009, 6:55PM
“Theo, red or green, make your mind up. And you're living in cloud cuckoo land if you think the majority of Jo Public cares about his/her carbon footprint.
Geoffrey Cox was right if, indeed, your version of events is accurate. Why should he 'hector' his voters.
I belive you have missed the point on this issue. Proper provision of power and energy is about having a coherent and sustainable policy. And that, (some would say unfortunately) is down to politicians making the right decisions based on sound judgement.
We haven't seen much in the way of sound judgement from this government, and certainly not from the point of view of energy.
What we have seen is procrastination and largely irrelevant 'green' posturing.
Sustainability in this context is not synonymous with what has come to be known as 'renewable' energy. Sustainability can take many forms, among them nuclear power. If we don't embrace the new technologies now making nuclear power accessible to us we will rue the day.”
by Theo H (proud to be red/green), Lifton
Thursday, June 11 2009, 6:43PM
“My MP, Geoffrey Cox, Conservative, West Devon and Torridge, is implacably against turbines.
That¿s OK by me ¿ at least I know where he stands on the issue.
So I met him to ask, ¿When your constituents lobby you against turbines, do you suggest that if they don¿t want turbines, then they should address their own personal carbon emissions ¿ smaller car, insulate house, fly less, drive slower, etc, ect as some sort of balance¿.
To do so, he told me, would be ¿hectoring¿ them.
Nuff said.”
by Lemming, Plymouth
Thursday, June 11 2009, 5:41PM
“The most depressing dimension to this whole affair is how our 'government' has 'handled' energy throughout its dreadful 12 years tenure.
We have had promises of a an energy policy, time and time again. In 2003, we even had a White Paper telling us that windpower was THE way ahead, to the expense of virtually every other form of power generation. Look how that changed, when someone pointed out that aerogenerators won't solve our problems and that nuclear, and even coal, might be a way to keep their sad a**** in power.
To me, energy (lack of) policy, epitomises what this 'government' is all about: vacuity, hopelessness and contempt for voters.
And Graham has nailed the issue perfectly: If I'm not mistaken, he's alluding to government's inability to make a decision, since it doesn't want to alienate those who might think opting for coal and/or nuclear might lose a few votes.”
by Dan Simpson, Dartmouth
Thursday, June 11 2009, 5:28PM
“I guess Nick Harvey must be an expert on these things to have such a "powerful" argument against using wind power.”
by Graham, Camelford
Thursday, June 11 2009, 5:03PM
“Merlin Hyman, CE of Regen SW is right when he says we need change on a much larger scale. What we do not need is more onshore wind turbines, ruining the precious landscape and producing piffling amounts of intermittent energy. It is interesting that Alistair darling in his budget statement mentioned offshore windfarms twice, but never mentioned onshore. All Ed Miliband wants is to claim progress towards a short term political target - and conveniently forget that excessive subsidies on onshore wind farms (from electricity users) should be used to develop methods of producing green energy by methods which have a realistic chance of reaching our long-term targets. Why worry about the future when you will not be there to claim success?”