Press Story

Wind power is an important form of low carbon electricity and could be a source of significant comparative advantage for the UK, according to a new report published today by the thinktank IPPR. But, the report argues that false claims about wind power technology are putting this potential at risk and could result in higher energy bills for consumers.

The report, Beyond the Bluster, debunks claims from a group of more than 100 MPs that wind power is not an effective technology. It shows that the UK has the greatest potential for wind power of any European country, both onshore and offshore and that the global market for low carbon technologies is continuing to grow rapidly.

IPPR commissioned research from renewable energy consultancy, GL Garrad Hassan, which shows that wind power is a very effective way to tackle climate change, having reduced carbon emissions in Great Britain by at least 5.5 million tonnes in 2011, the equivalent of taking over 2.1 million cars off the road. It also shows that wind energy:

is reliable,
poses no threat to energy security, and
is technically capable of providing a significant proportion of the UK's electricity supply with little impact on the existing operation of the electricity grid.

Will Straw, IPPR Associate Director, said:

"Too often, criticisms of wind power technology have been made that are not based on robust evidence. The interests of UK consumers and the British economy are best served if debates on wind power stick to the facts. The potential for wind power to save carbon emissions and the reliability of the technology, at least in the period up until 2020, are essentially settled issues.

"It is absolutely right that government support for wind power is not overly generous and that the views of local communities about developments in their area are taken into account through the planning process. But government policy on this technology must be determined by evidence and not by political whim. The Government must be consistent if the economic opportunities from this important technology are not to be squandered."

Notes to editors

IPPR's new report - Beyond the Bluster - is available from: http://bit.ly/IPPR9564

Claims about wind power that are not based on the evidence were made in a letter to the Prime Minister David Cameron by a group of more than 100 MPs, who described the technology as inefficient and less reliable than other types of energy production. It has also been claimed that the technology is not an effective way to reduce carbon emissions (see for example Lea (2012) The folly of wind power Civitas: London).

The report does not look at the costs of different technologies for producing energy. However, it does note that onshore wind is currently the cheapest of the renewable technologies and the Department for Energy and Climate Change is working with industry to reduce the costs of offshore wind by 30 per cent by 2020.

The comparative figure for the amount of carbon emissions saved by wind power in 2011 is based on an average polluting car, emitting 160g/km of carbon emissions, driven 10,000 miles per year.

Contact

Richard Darlington, 07525 481 602, r.darlington@ippr.org

Tim Finch, 07595 920899, t.finch@ippr.org