UK KEEPS BUILDING OFFSHORE POWER

Ed Miliband, Cabinet UK Department for Energy and Climate Change Secretary called the newly approved 750 megawatt Gwynt y Môr Welsh coast offshore wind installation a "…powerhouse for renewable energy…"

In a larger sense, offshore wind is slowly building the UK into a European New Energy powerhouse. The UK is setting a standard for offshore wind power development that should make industry and political leaders in the rest of the nations around the North Sea as well as the U.S. and China stop and think what immense resources they are allowing to go waste while around them the earth’s poles melt and the climate grows hotter.

Ed Miliband, Secretary, DECC: "The UK must clean up its energy supply to fight the damaging effects of climate change and more wind power will help us do this…The UK is leading the world in offshore wind, and the developments off the coast of north Wales will help keep us front runners."

British environmentalists are thrilled about offshore wind in general and the Gwynt y Môr project specifically but it met vigorous resistance from Welsh locals on aesthetic grounds. The pro-wind Brown government and the wind industry were able to convince a majority of those making the final decision that the importance of the New Energy generated is great and the aesthetic impacts are not.

Morgan Parry, head, WWF Cymru: "[This is] fantastic news for Wales…We need more projects such as Gwynt y Môr to help reduce our carbon emissions…It is only through landmark projects such as this that we can meet the tough targets set and start to de-carbonise our economy in Wales…The evidence of the effects of climate change is becoming increasing apparent, scientists have predicted that sea levels will rise by about a metre by the end of the century - this will change the face of Wales especially our coastal areas."

It is a standard others might consider.

A final factor that, as usual, turned the locals in favor of wind: The revenues to the community in the form of new jobs and injections for the local tax base are too good to turn away from, especially because survey after survey shows wind installations do not discourage tourism and, in many cases, stimulates it.

For Offshore Wind

From GreenpeaceUK via YouTube.

Giant wind farm gets the go-ahead
3 December 2008 (BBC News)

WHO
UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) (Ed Miliband, Secretary); Npower Renewables Ltd; Welsh Assembly Government; British Wind Energy Association (BWEA); Morgan Parry, head, WWF Cymru; John Lawson-Reay, chairman, Save our Scenery

WHAT
The Gwynt y Môr offshore wind installation has been given the go-ahead for construction by the UK’s DECC.

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WHEN
Gwynt y Môr is expected to be ready to start generating electricity by 2012.

WHERE
Gwynt y Môr will be 8 miles off the north coast of Wales, 10 miles away from Llandudno, Conwy.

WHY
- Gwynt y Môr will have 250 3-megawatt turbines for an installed capacity of 750 megawatts.
- The installation will be built by Npower Renewables Ltd.
- This will be one of the biggest offshore installations in the world.
- The project will require further consent, expected to be a formality, from the UK onshore electricity works at the time it initiates production.
- DECC approval followed assurance from Npower that the installation will be far enough out to minimize impact on local aesthetics and after Npower made arrangements to protect Llandudno's “historic built environment,” as requested by the Welsh Assembly Government.
- The 30-turbine North Hoyle project and the 25-turbine Burbo project are already in operation and the 25-turbine Rhyl Flats project is in the latter stages of construction, all off the north Wales coast.

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QUOTES
- Spokesperson, Welsh Assembly Government: "Although our view point was made clear, that the above issues should be tested via a public inquiry before ministers took their decision, those ministers are entirely within their rights to override our request and to arrive at a decision on the information before them…Now that the decision is made, Welsh companies should seek to capitalise on the significant economic opportunities that will arise in the supply chain of this huge project."
- Spokesperson, BWEA: "Gwynt y Môr is a landmark project both for Wales and the United Kingdom as a whole…It brings the total offshore projects with planning approval to 4.5 GW, solidifying UK's position as leader in offshore wind energy…It will also set us well on our way towards reaching our 2020 renewable energy targets."
- John Lawson-Reay, chairman, Save our Scenery: "Tourism is the only major industry in Wales basically…Llandudno is the queen of Welsh resorts, as has been often said, and we think and we believe and the views we get from visitors we speak to is that the scenery is the primary number one reason for people coming here…They want to get away from industrial areas."