[holding answer 19 July 2007]: As stated in the Energy White Paper “Meeting the Energy Challenge”, published earlier this year “renewable energy has a key role to play in reducing carbon emissions and achieving security of supply”.
http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file39387.pdf
In February this year the UK became one of only eight countries to surpass two gigawatts of wind generation. It took 14 years to reach the first gigawatt of electricity from wind and only a further 20 months to reach the second gigawatt.
The UK has one of the best wind profiles in Europe and as such wind technologies both onshore and offshore have the potential to supply a significant percentage of our energy needs.
[holding answer 19 July 2007]: According to the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) there are currently a total of 148 wind farms in the UK, 143 onshore and five offshore.
The locations of these wind farms are:
Wind farm Location Latitude Longitude Dommuie Aberdeenshire 57 27 01N 02 41 35W Boyndie Airfield Aberdeenshire 57 38 47N 02 36 17W Glens of Foudland Aberdeenshire 57 25 28N 02 38 34W Llyn Alaw Anglesey 53 21 48N 04 26 59W Cruach Mhor Argyll and Bute 56 02 24N 05 09 22W Tangy Argyll and Bute 55 29 38N 05 40 45W Deucheran Hill Argyll and Bute 55 37 44N 05 33 35W Beinn an Tuirc Argyll and Bute 55 33 56N 05 34 12W Beinn Ghlas Argyll and Bute 56 22 59N 05 16 20W Green Park Berkshire 51 25 05N 00 59 02W Ransonmoor Farm Cambridgeshire 52 30 15N 00 01 28E Red Tile Cambridgeshire 52 27 02N 00 00 27W Glass Moor Cambridgeshire 52 30 53N 00 06 45W Coldham Cambridgeshire 52 34 29N 00 08 45W Long Hill Road Cambridgeshire 52 33 34N 00 06 08E Abbey Produce Ramsey Site Cambridgeshire — — Blaen Bowi Carmarthenshire 51 59 17N 04 26 43W Parc Cynog Carmarthenshire 51 51 28N 04 34 40W Cefn Croes (inc Devils Bridge, Bryn Du) Ceredigion 52 24 18N 03 45 03W Llangwyryfon Ceredigion 52 18 26N 04 01 43W Mynydd Gorddu Ceredigion 52 27 18N 03 58 20W Rheidol Ceredigion 52 24 12N 03 52 56W Dyffryn Brodyn Ceredigion 51 52 09N 04 33 25W Rhyd-y-Groes Ceredigion 53 24 46N 04 25 54W Slievenahanaghan Co. Antrim 55 02 21N 06 16 20W Elliot’s Hill Co. Antrim 54 51 00N 06 03 36W Corkey Co. Antrim 55 02 00N 06 15 24W Callagheen Co. Fermanagh 54 26 18N 08 00 30W Tappaghan Mountain Co. Fermanagh 54 32 53N 07 33 14W Slieve Rushen Co. Fermanagh 54 09 36N 07 37 12W Altahullion Phase I Co. Londonderry 54 57 36N 07 01 54W Rigged Hill Co. Londonderry 55 01 18N 06 49 13W Lendrum’s Bridge Phase II Co. Tyrone 54 26 12N 07 20 42W Lendrum’s Bridge Phase I Co. Tyrone 54 26 12N 07 20 42W Owenreagh Co. Tyrone 54 48 30N 07 19 54W Bessy Bell Co. Tyrone 54 40 48N 07 24 12W Mawla (Moel Maelogen) Conwy 53 08 08N 03 43 00W Moel Maelogen Conwy 53 08 08N 03 43 24W Bears Down Cornwall 50 28 23N 04 57 11W Four Burrows Cornwall 50 17 30N 05 08 44W St. Breock Cornwall 50 28 36N 04 51 45W Goonhilly Downs Cornwall 50 02 46N 05 11 56W Cold Northcott Cornwall 50 38 14N 04 31 07W Carland Cross Cornwall 50 21 05N 05 01 48W Delabole Cornwall 50 38 14N 04 42 15W WWA High Sharpley County Durham 54 50 20N 01 25 04W Hare Hill (3Hs) County Durham 54 45 45N 01 24 59W Holmside Hall (3Hs) County Durham 54 50 18N 01 40 35W High Volts (3Hs) County Durham 54 41 58N 01 17 29W Tow Low (High Hedley 2) County Durham 54 45 37N 01 46 57W High Hedley Hope County Durham 54 45 36N 01 46 51W WWU High Pow Cumbria 54 46 51N 03 09 35W Eastman (Voridian) Cumbria 54 39 51N 03 32 33W Barrow (Off Shore) Cumbria 53 59 00N 03 17 00W Haverigg III Cumbria 54 12 03N 03 19 45W Winscales extension Cumbria 55 51 51N 03 05 15W Lambrigg Cumbria 54 20 07N 02 38 18W Lowca Cumbria 54 35 34N 03 34 33W Great Orton II Cumbria 54 52 01N 03 04 31W Winscales Cumbria 54 51 51N 03 05 15W Askam Cumbria 54 11 14N 03 10 20W Haverigg II Cumbria 54 12 03N 03 19 45W Harlock Hill Cumbria 54 13 08N 03 09 28W Oldside Cumbria 54 39 34N 03 33 34W Siddick Cumbria 54 40 16N 03 32 35W Kirkby Moor Cumbria 54 14 46N 03 09 08W Tir Mostyn and Foel Goch Denbighshire 53 06 52N 03 29 17W North Hoyle (Off Shore) Denbighshire 53 26 00N 03 24 00W Forest Moor Devon 50 53 39N 04 24 57W Wether Hill Dumfries and Galloway 55 18 37N 03 55 54W Artfield Fell Dumfries and Galloway 54 57 58N 04 45 59W Windy Standard Dumfries and Galloway 55 17 31N 04 12 18W Michelin Tyre Factory Dundee City 56 28 59N 02 53 32W Hare Hill East Ayrshire 55 21 06N 04 07 04W Myres Hill East Renfrewshire 55 41 30N 04 16 42W Lynch Knoll Gloucestershire 51 40 47N 02 16 29W Hafoty Ucha 3 extension Gwynedd 52 54 01N 04 23 18W Hafoty Ucha 2 extension Gwynedd 52 54 01N 03 35 18W Hafoty Ucha 1 Gwynedd 52 53 01N 03 35 18W Trysglwyn Gwynedd 53 22 28N 04 20 43W Beaufort Court (RES Office) Hertfordshire 51 42 29N 00 26 13W Beinn Tharsuinn Highland 57 48 06N 04 19 56W Farr Windfarm Highland 57 19 30N 04 05 39W Boulfruich Highland 58 18 0N 03 26 00W Gigha Community Highland 55 40 05N 05 45 16W Causeymire Highland 58 25 46N 03 30 31W Forss, Hill of Lybster Highland 58 36 28N 03 40 03W Novar Highland 57 42 52N 04 26 03W Out Newton Humberside 53 40 03N 00 06 04W Kentish Flats (Off shore) Kent 51 27 00N 01 08 10E WWP Hameldon Hill Lancashire 53 47 19N 02 09 39W Caton Moor Repowering Lancashire 54 03 39N 02 39 25W Coal Clough Lancashire 53 44 55N 02 10 03W Black Scout Wind Farm Lancashire 53 45 10N 02 09 39W Bambers Farm II Linolnshire 53 19 39N 00 14 25E Deeping St. Nicholas Lincolnshire 52 43 58N 00 13 01W Gedney Marsh (Red House) Lincolnshire 52 50 23N 00 06 24W Bambers Farm Lincolnshire 53 19 44N 00 15 03E Mablethorpe Lincolnshire 53 19 39N 00 14 25E Ford Motors London 51 31 18N 00 09 02E Royal Seaforth Dock Merseyside 53 27 31N 03 01 49W Paul’s Hill Moray 57 26 46N 03 28 34W Findhorn Foundation Moray 57 39 26N 03 34 48W Rothes (Cairn Uish) Moray 57 32 14N 03 22 17W Ffynnon Oer Neath Port Talbot 51 54 00N 03 10 00W North Pickenham Windfarm Norfolk 52 37 34N 00 44 59W Scroby Sands (Off shore) Norfolk 52 38 00N 01 47 00E Swaffham Extension Norfolk 52 39 21N 00 41 07E Somerton Norfolk 52 42 33N 01 39 20E Eco Tech Centre Norfolk 52 39 21N 00 41 07E Blood Hill Norfolk 52 42 41N 01 40 03E Wardlaw Wood North Ayrshire 55 42 38N 04 43 24W Ardrossan North Ayrshire 55 41 09N 04 48 26W Chelker Reservoir North Yorkshire 53 57 34N 01 54 31W Burton Wold Wind farm Northamptonshire 52 21 23N 00 39 02W Blyth (Off shore) Northumberland 55 08 09N 01 29 25W Kirkheaton Northumberland 55 04 58N 01 59 26W Blyth Harbour Northumberland 55 07 20N 01 29 25W Burray Orkney 58 52 15N 02 53 41W Spurness Wind farm Orkney 59 11 10N 02 41 22W Thorfinn, Burgar Hill Orkney 59 07 31N 03 09 16W Bu farm Orkney 59 04 59N 02 39 53W Sigurd Orkney 59 07 53N 03 08 57W Castle Pill Farm Pembrokeshire 51 43 27N 05 00 26W Mynydd Clogau Powys 52 34 49N 03 25 59W Cemmaes Powys 52 38 38N 03 40 45W Carno ‘A’ and ‘B’ Powys 52 33 02N 03 36 01W Bryn Titli Powys 52 22 03N 03 33 51W Llandinam P&L Powys 52 26 11N 03 24 49W Taff Ely Rhondda Cynon Taff 51 33 46N 03 29 09W Crystal Rig 1a Scottish Borders 56 53 42N 03 30 47W Black Hill Scottish Borders 55 47 54N 02 26 02W Crystal Rig Scottish Borders 55 53 42N 02 30 47W Bowbeat Scottish Borders 55 42 56N 03 08 23W Dun Law Scottish Borders 55 48 27N 02 51 37W Burra Dale Extension Shetland Islands 60 09 53N 01 14 10W Burra dale Shetland Islands 60 09 53N 01 14 10W Hadyard Hill, Barr South Ayrshire 55 14 45N 04 43 23W Black Law B South Lanarkshire 55 46 01N 03 44 20W Black Law A South Lanarkshire 55 46 01N 03 44 20W Sainsburys, Langlands Park South Lanarkshire 55 44 32N 04 09 36W Hagshaw Hill South Lanarkshire 55 33 02N 03 55 06W Royd Moor South Yorkshire 53 31 55N 01 40 10W Braes O’Doune Stirling 56 16 34N 04 03 45W Ness Point Suffolk 52 28 47N 01 45 35E Nissan Motors Plant Tyne and Wear 54 55 12N 01 28 05W Great Eppleton Tyne and Wear 54 49 47N 01 25 54W Ovenden Moor West Yorkshire 53 46 27N 01 56 05W
[holding answer 19 July 2007]: My Department are continuing to work with the renewables industry to overcome the barriers for deployment.
The Renewables Obligation (RO) is the Government’s main support mechanism for supporting renewables generation. The RO places an obligation on suppliers to source a specific and annually increasing proportion of their sales from renewable sources. The RO is currently technology blind so that as long as the generation is from an eligible renewable source the generator will receive one Renewable Obligation Certificate (ROC) for every 1 MW of renewable generation.
We are currently changing the RO to allow banding whereby differing values of ROC’s dependent on what the generating source is and we announced in the Energy White Paper the proposed bands for renewables under the RO.
[holding answer 19 July 2007]: It is for the wind farm developers to decide the best location for the wind farms and for them to take them through the planning process.
According to the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) there are currently:
32 onshore and seven offshore wind farms are under construction.
96 onshore and seven offshore wind farms are consented but not yet under construction.
217 onshore and seven offshore wind farms are in planning.
[holding answer 19 July 2007]: I have had no recent discussions with my colleagues at HM Treasury on tax incentives for wind farms.