Wednesday, 4.35pm - CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans to build a wind farm near Grantham have welcomed data from energy firm E-on which shows wind farms generate no power for a fifth of every year.
Reporting to the Lords Economic Affairs Committee's inquiry into the economics of renewables, the firmprovided data which showed:
* Wind farms are close to full output for less than one per cent of the year
* For 15 to 20 per cent of the year it generates none
* Eight per cent of total UK wind capacity could be relied on to meet winter peak demand at the same level of dependability as a thermal plant.
Peter Caswell, whose home neighbours the site of a proposed wind farm at Thackson's Well, near Normanton, said: "This must mean we cannot rely on wind alone.
"It is a an uncomfortable truth. However we add up the numbers, if you want a switch to work, you need coal, gas or nuclear power stations no matter how many wind turbines are put up."
A petition set up on the Prime Minister's website by Mr Caswell's wife Mo demanding a buffer zone of 2km be placed around future wind farm sites has been signed by 1,718 people.
To sign the petition click here.The full article contains 216 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
