Maria McCaffery 2014-03-14T01:48:44-04:00 Maria McCaffery Copyright 2008,, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Maria McCaffery Good old fashioned elbow grease. This Week Was a Big Moment for Renewables,2013:/theblog//3.4431484 2013-12-12T07:05:37-05:00 2014-02-11T05:59:02-05:00 Maria McCaffery
The bare bones of this are that Government is cutting support for onshore wind and solar, while increasing it for offshore. Without sufficient support the UK's offshore wind programme won't get to a sweet spot beyond which cost reduction and new employment really start to motor. Government still needs to set out a convincing story for its aspiration for offshore wind in the 2020s, but last week most offshore companies think it did just about enough to keep offshore wind delivering and keep the UK in the game for a slice of this new low carbon sector.

But the contrast with onshore wind is stark. Here Government reduced support by £5 per megawatt hour from £95 to £90. This might not seem much to a casual observer, but for some projects this change will mean the difference between going ahead and not. And Government seems happy to make these changes without showing its workings, an omission which has raised eyebrows amongst investors. Let's not forget that what these investors most want is to see politics taken out of energy policy. They therefore look for evidence and rationale.

What is not clear is the Government's motivation for this. Ahead of the announcement Number 10 was briefing that this would result in less onshore wind being built. But announcing the figures later that day Danny Alexander and DECC sought to say that this would not cut the amount of wind deployed, but reduce the cost.

If the Department of Energy and Climate Change is right then onshore wind will continue being built out. But if DECC has its calculations wrong, less onshore will be built, and the shortfall in low carbon generation will need to come from more expensive sources, which will mean the consumer pays more, or less renewable energy gets built with the money available.

Our own assessment is that less onshore wind will be built in the UK as a result of this announcement. That might please a minority, but seems a perverse result. And the big tragedy is that it doesn't need to be this way. There is a way to reduce costs and to see onshore wind continue to thrive. The future for onshore wind is in a world where it competes without fear or favour with other technologies. Subsidies should be there for the shortest time possible. But right now Government has got into the habit of loading on extra cost almost as a quid pro quo of support.

For example, one of the simplest ways to reduce cost would be to make the planning system easier to navigate. Right now too many local planning authorities are struggling to decide objectively on wind farm proposals, creating delay and increasing uncertainty. Government is strong on the need for sustainable development in planning, yet allows delay on planning for wind farms and seems content to prolong a shifting and uncertain policy background.

There are many examples like this. Costs imposed by others on an industry seen as having broad shoulders. And where this gets us to is that we have a Government and an industry in agreement about the need to bring costs down but a disagreement about how. In the week when Lord Deben urged the Government not to delay taking action that is a worry.]]>
Offshore Wind - It's Decision Time,2013:/theblog//3.4357004 2013-11-28T14:50:40-05:00 2014-01-28T05:59:02-05:00 Maria McCaffery
However, nobody is resting on their laurels. We are under no illusions about the scale of the challenge ahead. Whilst this year has been highly successful, investment in offshore wind projects is planned years in advance, so we have to take a long term view.

Ensuring that confidence remains strong is crucial for the future of the offshore wind industry. On Thursday, RenewableUK published what we trust is a thought-provoking position paper, "Offshore Wind: Decision Time", written by Charles Ogilvie, former Chief of Staff to the Energy Minister Gregory Barker. In the document, Mr Ogilvie explains how the offshore wind sector faces "an unprecedented challenge" as it strives to ensure that rapid and successful growth is maintained, and momentum doesn't wane.

So what exactly do we need to see? Well first we need to get real on the issue of volume. If the Government were to specify a minimum volume target for offshore wind within the Levy Control Framework (the Government's budget for spending on renewables), it would go a long way to calm the nerves of investors. There is no such ambition at present. A minimum should not be an end in itself, Mr Ogilvie argues, rather a means that will demonstrate that the sector is deploying at a rate that can achieve the cost reductions to deliver a return on the investment taxpayers have made in the sector to date.

Consistency is the key, and frankly it isn't helpful to have one Government department talking about installing 16GW of offshore wind by 2020 and other departments mooting 8GW. This type of mixed messaging makes it very hard for investors to gauge the real level of commitment and therefore the future scale of the market. We also have to start thinking, now, about what we want to see happen after 2020 if we are serious about bringing the long term economic benefits of offshore wind to the UK - the big turbine factories and a healthy sup[ply chain, creating tens of thousands of jobs. We can't continue to kick the can down the road and, given the importance of energy policy to this country, it shouldn't be treated as a political football.

Of course there are responsibilities for the industry too. We will continue to work tirelessly to drive down costs by learning through experience and achieving economies of scale. However, the proposed fall in the draft strike price for offshore wind (from £155 to £135 per megawatt hour by 2018/19 in the upcoming Contracts for Difference) is too steep. There is a virtuous circle in which higher deployment generates cost reductions, but we must achieve sufficient volume before cuts come into force. This is why is makes more sense to delay steep reductions in support until after 2020.

The British public wants the Government to continue to encourage the growth of offshore wind. In the latest wave of results in DECC's Public Attitudes Tracker, published earlier this month, 72% of people specifically expressed their support for offshore wind as a technology we should be deploying. We hope all parts of Government have heard that call, and that Ministers will act together, speaking with a unified voice, so that there is no room for doubt that the UK is set fair to maintain its pole position at the forefront of the global offshore wind industry.]]>
The Inconvenient Truth Behind Rising Energy Bills,2013:/theblog//3.4157379 2013-10-24T12:25:11-04:00 2013-12-24T05:12:02-05:00 Maria McCaffery
There has been a great deal said in the past couple of days about these 'green levies' with some claiming that ending support for renewables is one path for bringing bills down. Right now there is a bad whodunit being played out. Everyone wants to know who is responsible for rising energy bills, but the wrong person has been blamed. The fact is that blaming renewables for bill rises may be convenient but it is not true. Moreover it ignores the inconvenient truth behind energy bill rises.

So let's start by looking at the facts. Rising energy bills are a major concern for everyone, and nobody can deny they have been rising. In fact over the past eight years the average duel energy bill has gone from about £600 a year to about £1200 a year. Of this £600 rise, £37 has been linked to support for renewable energy projects. Now £37 is not to be sniffed at but the fact is that leaves a rise of £563 in people's bills which has absolutely nothing to do with renewables at all.

Wind energy itself has added less than £20 a year. That's less than £1.50 a month. Maybe you don't want to spend any money on wind energy. But if your main aim is to find out what is driving up your bills, then you need to start with the £563 of that £600 increase and ask what caused that because it wasn't wind energy or other renewables. But too many people don't want to ask this question, and instead point a lazy finger at renewables.

So what is that £563 rise all about? Well a lot of it is due to the continuing rise in the price of wholesale gas. That is one of the reasons why investment in renewable energy is so important. It allows us to be less reliant on expensive, imported fossil fuels, like gas, and as a result take control of our energy future. It is also important to remember Government has already capped the total amount that can be spent on renewables to protect consumers. In contrast, consumers have no way of capping costs coming from the relentless rise in gas prices, and that's why we keep seeing these big leaps in bills.

Some of the rest of it is about investing in our electricity grid network, which has been neglected for a long time and which needs to happen if we are to have a properly functioning 21st Century grid network. Of course the cost of this has to be carefully managed but it is not in the interests of anyone to have a creaking grid network that can't handle the power we need.

So if the government is serious about getting hold of bill rises then renewables is the wrong place to look. It is the wrong place to look for two reasons. Firstly, the support for renewables and in particular wind is such a small part of the rise we have seen in recent times that it would not make the type of difference that people want to see.

Secondly, and here is the inconvenient truth, even if we ended all support for renewables and didn't build a single more wind turbine, wave array or tidal generator, the prices of our energy bills would continue to rise. The current fleet of gas and coal powered stations are coming to the end of their lifespan and need to be replaced. We can either replace some of them with low-carbon projects, which will cost money, or we can replace them with more gas and coal powered stations, which will cost money. The only difference between these two scenarios is that we know what the first one will cost and have little idea what the second one will cost. The first scenario keeps us in control of our energy supply, the second one keeps us at the whim of the international market which we have no control over.]]>
Energy Goes Up the Political Agenda - Has the Consensus Broken and Does It Matter?,2013:/theblog//3.4096919 2013-10-14T10:17:11-04:00 2014-01-23T18:58:21-05:00 Maria McCaffery
On behalf of the renewables sector I'm busy across all the party conferences. They are a great way to meet with politicians and to take the political temperature. Normally party conferences are abuzz with party gossip, speculation about politicians on manoeuvres and you struggle to get people interested in your own topic. But this year, one of the main areas of debate was energy, and suddenly we were pitched into the heart of an urgent debate. Looking back at the three conferences, I've been wondering if the energy consensus that existed between the parties has shattered, and if it has, what does that mean?

The Lib Dem conference was the first of the three, and Ed Davey clearly tried to make the running, using his speech to highlight differences in the Coalition and to claim that successes in green energy were down to the Lib Dems acting to defend the "Greenest Government ever" tag. However, this was all but forgotten a week later, when Ed Miliband used his speech to announce Labour party policy of an energy bills freeze. It was clear a week later that the Conservative Party was struggling to come up with a clear response for this. While I understand their criticism, the Labour proposal as undermining investment and certainty, the call for action on energy costs has struck a chord, and pressure is now mounting to address cost by clamping down on energy companies and also on "green measures" present in all our energy bills.

With politicians now back at Westminster and the big energy companies under the spotlight this debate is not going away any time soon. It's right that each of the different parts that make up our bill are scrutinised, but when energy experts point out that the big driver behind bill increases is the fact that we buy more and more fuel (mostly gas) on international markets and prices are going up, no one pays any attention. And while it's not right, it's no surprise that some are using this as an opportunity to criticise renewables and their support and exaggerate their contribution to energy bills. Based on what some politicians and journalists have been saying, you would think that the thing really ramping up energy costs was wind energy.

So let's take a step back and see what wind energy really costs? Bills have steadily risen over recent years, and affordability, especially for the most vulnerable households needs to be addressed. The average bill includes a contribution to fund green measures. The largest amount of this is to fund energy efficiency work across households, and smaller amounts go to support the building of renewable energy projects like wind farms and solar farms. Wind energy currently adds less than 2% to the average bill; that's less than 5p a day.

So, it seems post Party Conferences the consensus on energy, if not broken, is not in the healthiest state, and also that there's significant misinformation, with some using the debate on energy costs as a convenient stick to attack wind energy and cast it as the bad guy in hiking up energy bills. And let's be clear; wind has increased energy bills - by 2%.

If we are to decarbonise our electricity provision, we will need in the short term to increase our policy costs - as we seek to increase renewables, carbon capture and storage and nuclear. The trade-off for this is that the more we can cut our energy imports, the more we will enhance our security of supply, as well as making our energy system far cleaner - not just good for the planet but people's health and wellbeing as well. These decarbonised types of electricity all have high initial capital cost but lower operating cost - for renewables that's especially the case as operators are not buying in any fuel, just harvesting it from our natural resources. It's a bit like buying a year's travelcard - you spend more up front so you're not paying out for each journey you make.

So if as a country we are serious about managing the cost of energy it means investing in UK sources like renewables where we have a competitive advantage. Last year we got enough power for the equivalent of 4.59 million households, and we are seeing the growth of a new industry in the UK. 34,500 people now work in the wind, wave and tidal sectors, a number which has grown by over 74% in just three years.

So, with so much at stake, how can we ensure this massive opportunity is not lost? It's right that politicians care about energy costs, but wrong that they ignore some inconvenient truths when they debate the topic. And politicians need to look for long term solutions and ignore the temptation of short term political fixes or worse, political point scoring. There's a crucial need to decarbonise our energy system, and by investing now to reap the rewards of security of supply, stable prices and a better environment in the future we will do more to manage energy costs and keep the lights on than we will pretending that somehow the wind turbines on our hills or around our coastline are unaffordable. That argument just doesn't add up. It's time to take the politics out of energy again.]]>
Don't Let Wavering Ambitions Become a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy for the UK's Wind Industry,2013:/theblog//3.3657735 2013-07-26T08:44:21-04:00 2013-09-25T05:12:01-04:00 Maria McCaffery
Forgive me for putting on an anorak for the moment, but it's important that we get data right and be clear about what numbers tell us. Last week the Government published what it called a Draft Delivery Plan which contained scenarios for how much wind, nuclear, gas and other generation we might have in 2030. These figures contain mixed messages on wind energy. My worry is that DECC is backpedalling on its vision of 31 gigawatts (GW) installed by 2020 which it set out in its Renewable Energy Roadmap in 2011, reducing this to 28GW by 2020, and anything between 20 and 53GW in 2030.

Most worrying is that almost all DECC's scenarios are based on an assumption that the costs of offshore wind will not fall, even though industry and Government are working hard on a programme to cut costs by 30% by 2020. The Government once again appears undecided on the role renewables will play in our future energy mix. Meanwhile, National Grid envisaged wind capacity reaching between 17 and 26GW in 2020 and 34-57GW in 2030. "Wide-ranging" is the most charitable way to describe these scenarios - "non-committal" is another.

These figures massively underestimate what we, the industry, know we can achieve, as long as a supportive policy framework is put in place as soon as possible, including consistently positive messaging from all levels of Government. RenewableUK itself has worked with Government and industry to track delivery in offshore wind, so in response we have published Project Timelines analysis to show that offshore wind alone has the potential to expand to 18GW by 2020, in line with Government's original projections.

New Government energy statistics show that the amount of wind energy on the system increased by 32%. This continued growth make the UK wind industry an engine room for job creation in the UK - having already created over 12,000 jobs, we are on track to employ 76,000 people by 2021. And if the rest of Europe experiences similar growth, there is a strong chance that we can do more business with their wind energy companies, further developing our supply chain and boosting job creation.

A great recent example is a company like Aquind, and its plans to develop foundations for offshore turbines in North Tyneside. This project alone has the potential to create up to 700 jobs. However, as with all the other plans in the pipeline, policy certainty is necessary if it is to become a reality.


Instead we all need to be clear that a big opportunity awaits. Government given confidence in offshore wind is like ginger to the dog; it's a catalyst to delivery, makes cost reduction and new employment the expected outcome and wind energy the smart bet for the UK. Government needs to use summer's Offshore Industrial Strategy to set out and underpin this opportunity. By being bold we will all reap the rewards.]]>
London Array Gets the PM's Vote,2013:/theblog//3.3545916 2013-07-04T19:49:31-04:00 2013-09-03T05:12:01-04:00 Maria McCaffery
Today's inauguration, as well as marking a significant day in the project's history, also points the way for the offshore wind sector in the UK. It gives us a glimpse of the future and the type of environmental and economic benefits that communities up and down the country will see as a result of offshore wind.

It is certainly an indication of just how far the offshore wind sector has come in the UK since the first two offshore turbines were installed off the coast at Blyth in Northumberland back in 2001. What a long way we have come in a comparatively short space of time.

Today we heard the Prime Minister say ""This is a great day for Britain and a big win for renewable energy. London Array shows you can build large scale renewable energy projects right here in Britain. This is because when it comes to clean energy, the UK has one of the clearest investment climates globally".

Such a strong signal from the very top of our political establishment is doubly welcome as it will help to put an end to the siren calls from the naysayers who've failed to appreciate the scale of the opportunity that the UK has as the global leader in offshore wind.

Wind farms such as London Array are generating clean electricity for British homes, giving us a secure home-grown supply of energy which stops us having to import expensive and environmentally-damaging fossil fuels which have been driving our bills up unacceptably.

We're witnessing a massive expansion in the number of people we employ in the UK's wind industry, from about 12,000 now to 76,000 by the dawn of the next decade, as long as Government remains supportive - today Mr Cameron has assured us that it will.

As well as celebrating today's official opening of a monumental feat of green engineering, everyone in the offshore sector is now looking forward to the Government publishing the Electricity Market Reform draft delivery plan, as well as the Industrial Strategy for offshore wind, later this month.

This will follow last month's publication of the draft strike prices for offshore wind under Contracts for Difference, which are challenging, and highlight the need for cost reduction as swiftly as possible by the offshore sector.

The prize is within our grasp. If we can get the policy framework working in a way that brings investors and Government together then today's event will be just the first of many major offshore project inaugurations that I will be hoping to attend over the coming years.]]>
Wind Energy Wins Votes,2013:/theblog//3.3243738 2013-05-09T06:39:47-04:00 2013-07-09T05:12:02-04:00 Maria McCaffery





Wind Energy Industry Commits to Charter for UK's Prosperity,2012:/theblog//3.1414115 2012-04-10T05:57:30-04:00 2012-06-10T05:12:01-04:00 Maria McCaffery
This backdrop makes investment, growth, jobs and economic stability for the public more crucial than ever, so we need to be championing the creation and development of industries, such as the UK's wind, wave and tidal energy industries, which can help us to reach these essential goals. This is one of the reasons why RenewableUK and 12 founding signatories from across the industry, including RWE, GE and Vestas, have launched the RenewableUK Wind Energy Charter. The Charter outlines the significant economic benefits that the UK's wind energy industry is already delivering, which David Cameron has recently highlighted as crucial to our economic recovery and stability. It also sets out three core principles which commit the industry to continued medium-term investment of £50 billion in the UK, creating 90,000 jobs in the next eight years, while increasing our energy security and protecting consumers from rising energy costs.

Let me take each of these three principles and the benefits they will bring in turn.

1. The wind energy industry will invest in the prosperity and energy security of the UK.

The industry intends to invest many billions of pounds in the UK's economy, building onshore and offshore wind farms; developing new manufacturing facilities; upgrading ports into energy hubs and creating Research & Development and training facilities all around the country. This investment will revitalise communities throughout the UK and secure our energy independence.

Wind brings us that security by giving us a means to harness an abundant, clean and sustainable source of energy, reducing our dependence on expensive fossil fuel imports, increasingly from politically unstable parts of the globe. For many countries, including the USA, this consideration has become progressively important as a fundamental element of a wider national security policy. Let's not forget that Russia turned off the gas supply to Europe in 2006, when it became embroiled in a dispute with Ukraine, and was responsible for no less than 17 disruptions to gas supplies to Western Europe over the following 12 months. When Russia did restore the supply it was at double the price. More recently, we have all felt the pain this winter, when international gas prices soared by 40% compared to last year, sending domestic fuel bills rocketing. Should we carry on exposing ourselves to the instability of global energy prices and the unpredictability of global events, or should we recognise the political and economic value of taking control of our energy supply?

The industry is also creating substantial economic opportunities. In the last year it has attracted £5 billion in investment to the UK, and now intends to boost this with a further £50 billion in the next eight years. Look at the multinationals queuing up to build wind turbine factories in the UK, such Vestas. Consider the companies who have committed to developing wind turbine technology in the UK, such as Samsung and Mitsubishi.

2. The UK wind energy industry will provide financial security for families by creating tens of thousands of long term jobs.

With unemployment currently standing at 8.4%, or over 2.6 million people currently out of work, we need to develop industries that will not only create jobs but offer careers for generations to come. The wind energy industry aims to create tens of thousands of UK based jobs across a wide range of business sectors. Companies large and small will benefit as investment in engineering, manufacturing and training accelerates and extends from wind energy into associated industries.

The wind energy industry in the UK already employs nearly 12,000 already and will increase that to around 90,000 over the next eight years, investing heavily in technical training as we go. Which other industries can offer such enormous opportunities to develop our engineering skills, our manufacturing base and our supply chain? The industry is also a primary investor in tackling youth unemployment, supporting a growing number of initiatives to attract young people into the energy sector with the promise and commitment of a long-term and highly rewarding career.

Remember too the spin-off benefits - the service industries supplying this rapidly expanding sector with hotel rooms, food, taxis - these are also the beneficiaries of an industry which will continue to be built out for decades to come.

3. The wind energy industry will provide clean, safe and affordable energy that will power the UK for many generations to come.

The industry is firmly committed to reducing the cost of wind energy over time and to cement its role as a vital part of the UK's energy mix. In doing so, we will be helping to protect consumers from fluctuating global energy prices and from increasing dependency on imported fossil fuels. These measures will also reduce the UK's carbon footprint.

The UK is already the global leader in offshore wind power, with a greater installed capacity than anywhere else in the world. Wind energy both on- and offshore currently provides enough clean, secure energy to power nearly 5 million homes in the UK. Our industry intends to increase this to 17 million homes by 2020. In doing so we shall continually work to reduce costs to ensure consumers get value for money. Our Chairman, Andrew Jamieson of Scottish Power Renewables, heads the Government's Offshore Wind Cost Reduction Taskforce which is examining this issue in detail.

The independent energy regulator, Ofgem, has just published a report showing that financial support for wind now costs the average household just 2 pence per day - a very small price to pay for a country making the absolutely vital transition to a low-carbon economy.

The RenewableUK Wind Energy Charter sets out the long-term commitments of the industry, the benefits it will bring and how it will help to regenerate our economy and underpin growth. Working with government and the public we will provide investment and jobs where they are most needed, energy security at a time when it is most critical and deliver affordable, clean and totally sustainable electricity for everyone.

(Maria McCaffery is the Chief Executive of RenewableUK, the trade association representing the wind, wave and tidal energy industries sectors of the United Kingdom).
Don't Gamble With Our Energy Supply,2012:/theblog//3.1276314 2012-02-15T19:00:00-05:00 2012-04-16T05:12:01-04:00 Maria McCaffery
At present some sections of the media are arguing that we can't afford renewable energy. In fact the direct opposite is true. This week we have witnessed gas prices rocket by almost 50% as Europe suffers a cold snap. Ofgem, the independent energy regulator confirms that the fluctuating wholesale price of gas has been the driving force behind the recent increases in our energy bills. On top of this our reliance on imported fossil fuels from Russia and the Middle East raises questions about the security of supply.

I believe that it's important to have a wide range of sources in our energy portfolio to meet our needs. Renewable sources form a key part of that mix, already generating about 9% of our electricity, according to the Department of Energy and Climate Change. The government is calling for a fivefold increase in wind energy, onshore and offshore, by 2020. Last week saw the world's largest offshore wind farm open off the coast of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, reaffirming the UK's global lead in the sector. It will generate enough power to supply 320,000 homes.

Ofgem's figures show that the current cost to UK households of developing all forms of renewable energy, including wind, is less than £20 a year. For less than 40p a week, we can develop a thriving UK-based renewable sector, including wave and tidal energy, which will provide secure, cost-effective and clean energy for generations to come.

This long-term vision will deliver tens of thousands of jobs in some of the most economically challenged areas of the country, reinvigorating the manufacturing sector and creating new export markets in countries such as China and India. It will also provide a boost to small and local businesses across the country, as the government has recently announced that it will ensure that 50% of the supply chain driving the wind energy industry would be home-grown.

We expect to have nearly 90,000 people working in the UK's wind industry and the supply chain by 2021. Multinational companies are planning to open up large factories to manufacture the next generations of offshore wind turbines. The wind industry already employs nearly 12,000 people in the UK. It will provide many more jobs for our children and grandchildren if we have the foresight to embrace the opportunity to build a low-carbon economy. ]]>
It's Time for a Common Sense Debate About Britain's Energy Future,2012:/theblog//3.1204109 2012-01-13T19:00:00-05:00 2012-03-14T05:12:01-04:00 Maria McCaffery
This matters because in the next 10 years, nearly 25% of our current power stations will close as they come to the end of their lifecycle. What we invest in to power our future is a decision which matters, not only for the sake of the environment, but also for the jobs and the industries which will be created, from engineering to industrial design and manufacturing. Put simply, we can keep the lights on and create a lasting home-grown industry, or we can go for a fix of foreign energy.

The UK is not alone in having to face these important decisions. Germany, Spain, Denmark and the global powers of the US and China are also facing the challenge of needing to replace ageing power stations. The tsunami suffered by Japan last year has led that country to reconsider how to meet its energy needs.

It is a real concern therefore that certain sections of the media, urged on by think tanks keen to make headlines, are striving to make this a debate based on their own pseudo-science, rather than the crucial facts. In doing so, they risk damaging a growing industry which is creating thousands of engineering jobs and a export manufacturing industry for the UK of which we can all be proud.

In Germany, nearly 10% of electricity is produced by wind power. The country's engineering sector has created a major turbine export industry which supplies the world. With nearly 30,000 wind turbines located mainly onshore, the German government has produced a policy which will seek 100% reliance on renewable energy for electricity production by 2050. This undertaking will include a further expansion of wind farms, particularly offshore.

When Chancellor Merkel announced last year her administration would phase out its ageing nuclear power stations and not replace them, it was considered to be a response to the Fukushima disaster in Japan. This may have played a part in that decision, but it was also taken because her country had invested in a successful alternative, boosting German industry, and ending much of its dependence on other sources of power.

So why then has the think tank Civitas claimed that "there is no economic case for wind power"? They argued that back-up costs from non-renewable energy sources at times when the wind doesn't blow means that wind would be more expensive; they stated this back-up might contribute to carbon emissions; they also said the National Grid would need to be developed to take power from wind farms to where people live, adding to costs.

This alleged need for extensive and expensive back-up is an argument that has not held back Germany, Spain or the USA. That is because in their far more mature wind energy industry, it has been proved not to be a significant challenge at all. Wind has, because of its very reliability, been a major contributor to reducing carbon emissions. As for the need to develop the grid, this is required for most new power sources as they are not near the facilities they replace. So as we renew a substantial percentage of our power generation in the next ten years, this will be a major consideration for any new power stations, whether they are wind farms or not.

Ruth Lea, the author of the Civitas report, does concede that "a mix of technologies is preferable for operational reasons". I could not agree more. But then she lowered the tone by describing wind energy as an "expensive folly".

The only folly I can see is that of ignoring the development of the wind energy industry in other countries where so many of our peers see their path to secure, safe, clean energy production to be anchored by wind.

So, as we engage in this crucial debate in the coming months we must base these vital decisions on what has been proved to work in other countries - not pseudo-science - and what is already creating lasting and affordable energy solutions and a home-grown engineering industry here in the UK. This is not just for the benefit of future generations, it's for the sake of common sense.

Maria McCaffery MBE is the Chief Executive of RenewableUK, the trade association for Britain's wind and tidal energy industries.]]>