WELSH environmentalists have renewed their attack on wind power following the government鈥檚 announcement that 24 new wind power ventures in the country have been given the go-ahead. 鈥淚f planning permission is granted to these projects it appears that there will be a proliferation of large wind power stations right across Wales,鈥� says Merfyn Williams, director of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW).
Late last month, the Energy Technology Support Unit at Harwell published details of 55 projects approved by the government under its Nonfossil Fuel Obligation, a scheme designed to encourage the development of renewable energy sources. Some 60 per cent of the power produced by these projects will come from Wales.
The CPRW argues that wind power projects should be halted in Wales until the government starts taking energy efficiency seriously as a way to reduce demand for electricity. It also complains that developers go for the windiest sites and not the most environmentally appropriate. 鈥淭his has inevitably led to schemes being proposed where they will cause widespread damage to our most extensive and valuable landscapes,鈥� says Williams.
Advertisement
But the CPRW鈥檚 comments have drawn criticism from other environmental groups. Alan Watson of Friends of the Earth Cymru believes wind power could be an important industry for Wales. Seven of the new projects are small clusters of turbines, some of which have been proposed by local people.