§ Mr. DafisTo ask the President of the Board of Trade how many sites for wind farms are currently under consideration; how many are under construction; and how many wind turbines are already linked to the national grid.
§ Mr. EggarOf the wind farms which have received contracts under the non-fossil fuel obligation (NFFO), the following is my understanding of the situation:
- 1. Under consideration—16 sites
- 2. Under construction—13 sites
- 3. Already linked to the grid—five sites, including 56 wind turbines.
I am not aware of any wind farms outside the NFFO, although there probably are some in the first category, being given consideration in anticipation of future NFFO orders.
§ Mr. DafisTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to encourage wind energy production in areas where the average wind speed is between 6.5 and 7.5 metres per second.
§ Mr. EggarI have no plans to constrain any future non-fossil fuel obligation orders for wind energy by either wind speed or geographic location. I believe potential developers must be free to exploit the best sites which are acceptable to the planning authorities.
§ Mr. DafisTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his Department's estimated target in megawatts for wind energy production in the United Kingdom in the year 2000.
§ Mr. EggarThe Government are currently working towards a figure of 1,000 MW of new electricity generating capacity from renewables by the year 2000. I do not have a target for individual technologies, such as wind, within that figure.