Offshore Wind: A solution to the renewable energy problem? (December 2007, William Norris QC)

Articles17th December 2007

This article was originally published in Building Magazine in December 2007.

“The recent announcement by Energy Secretary, John Hutton of his proposals for the “third round” of offshore wind energy development has been presented as a massive boost for that form of renewable energy, offering the prospect that, by 2020, “enough electricity could be generated off our shores to power the equivalent of all the UK’s homes”. It appears a beguiling and optimistic message, suggesting that the Government may yet meet its binding legal commitment (pursuant to EU obligations under the Kyoto protocol) of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5% below base level years by 2008 to 2012 and clearly expressed policy objectives of supplying 10% of UK electricity from renewable sources by 2010 and 20% by 2020 (see Climate Change – the UK Programme 2006 and, more recently, the Energy White Paper 2007). But is it realistic?…”