Via A pipedream of six turbines a day until 2020 – Telegraph:
Last Wednesday, two days before our Climate Change Secretary, Ed Miliband, told us that motorists could help save the planet by changing more quickly to a lower gear, his underling Lord Hunt made one of the most absurd claims that can ever have been uttered by a British minister. Solemnly reported by the media, he said that by 2020 he hopes to see thousands more wind turbines round Britain’s coasts, capable of producing ’25 gigawatts (GW)” of electricity, enough to meet “more than a quarter of the UK’s electricity needs”.
Booker goes on to explain three important points:
- The plan is not cost-effective: these turbines could only provide half what is claimed thanks to the variability of the wind and cost was not mentioned.
- There is no way the stated number of turbines can be built.
- Lord Hunt’s absurd claims were dutifully reported without asking any of these questions.
As has been pointed out elsewhere, if we really care about the environment and energy security, we need some clearer thinking.
