BIG WIND MOVE BY BT

This project reportedly follows a trend in Europe, and especially the UK, where large businesses are taking advantage of their own open space and ubiquitous financing to develop New Energy sources on their own property where permitting is not a significant obstacle.

BT wind farms to supply green energy
Fiona Harvey and Andrew Bolger, October 18, 2007 (Financial Times)

WHO
British telecommunications giant BT Group (Hanif Lalani, finance director)

Wind installations are being built all over England... (click to enlarge)

WHAT
In the biggest UK renewable energy project not done by a power generation company, telecom giant BT will develop wind farms.

WHEN
The project is expected to begin when utility financing is worked out and completed by 2016.

WHERE
The UK wind farms will be built on BT-owned lands, adjacent to other industrial projects, which should make permitting much simpler.

WHY
- BT will eventually develop 250 megawatts of wind energy. This would equal 12.5% of the UK’s present 2 gigawatts of wind energy .
- The wind energy would meet 25% of the telcom company’s electricity need.
Cost, paid by utility-owners, is estimated at 250 million pounds ($512.5 million).

...Though some would apparently argue that the real future of British wind is offshore. (click to enlarge)

QUOTES
- Lalani: "Our customers are very clear they want us to develop products and services using clean energy…"
- Jonathan Johns, partner, BT advisors Ernst and Young: "There is a wall of capital out there for investment in renewables."