LETTER: Lets see more wind farms

I FIND it increasingly difficult to comprehend the growing campaign against the building of windmills and wind farms, as in the letter headed “Desecration starts?” from Neil Schofield on August 31st.

For 40 years, I have supported the search for alternative forms of creating power, mainly as a member of Friends of the Earth, and finally we seem to be moving in the right direction.

Windmills are not the full answer but they are part of the solution and I, for one, do not class them as a “blot” and I am pleased to see them spreading across our countryside.

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Why do people such as Mr Schofield object so strongly? Do they not want cheaper power? Or is it that they want cheaper power but they don’t want to see it being made! Well I’m sorry, Mr Schofield, power has to be created somewhere.

Mr Schofield makes some claims that windmills are only 27% efficient and “they can never even hope to recoup the cost of making and installing them”.

Let’s not make up silly claims and manufacture misinformation. Mr Schofield also claims a windmill might only make enough power to generation eight electric showers!

The truth is that windmills currently generate enough electricity to provide five million homes in this country for an entire year. This figure is expected to rise to 17 million by 2020. It is expected that on-shore wind farms will be producing over 10% of our total power needs by 2030. I find this very exciting.

If we are going to have a debate, let’s have an honest one.

GERARD McCABE

Colne Town Councillor

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