§ 24. Mr. ChaytorTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the benefits of schemes to support wind energy. [90032]
§ Mr. BattleWind energy is one of the more promising renewable energy sources for electricity generation world-wide. The supporting analysis accompanying my renewables consultation paper includes a status report on wind energy and how the technology has been developing in the UK, highlighting the achievements of wind energy projects under the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO) and the supporting Research and Development Programme.
At 31 March 1999, there were 59 wind projects comprising 138 Mega Watts (Declared Net Capacity) operational in the UK. The cost of wind-generated electricity under successive NFFO orders has reduced significantly, with the average price having fallen from 7.98 p/KWh under NFFO-1 to 2.88 p/KWh under NFFO-5, substantially increasing both competitiveness and growth of renewables.