Britain plugged in to its vast natural wind power potential today with the
launch of the country’s first major offshore wind farm, off the North Wales
coast. The development has been built 4-5 miles off the coast of Rhyl and
Prestatyn and will generate enough clean electricity for up to 50,000 homes
each year.
Backed by Tony Blair and environmental group Greenpeace, the wind farm was
developed by National Wind Power, sister company to Npower, which markets
green power to U.K. households.
Built in just eight months, the 30-turbine wind farm will prevent the
release of about 160,000 tons of harmful carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
every year, equivalent to removing some 80,000 cars from the road.
Alan Moore, managing director of National Wind Power said, “All too often
people think of the big issues like global warming and feel powerless to do
anything about it. With North Hoyle and the clean electricity it generates
for Npower Juice, we can help people make a difference. For every unit of
electricity a Juice customer uses from the electricity grid, we will
replace that with energy from North Hoyle – effectively helping to reduce
the greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere. This is a fantastic day for
renewable energy and Wales has every right to be proud. The North Hoyle
Offshore Wind Farm and Npower Juice are leading the way in this new era of
clean electricity generation. This is a first for Wales and a first for
Great Britain.” he said.
Stephen Tindale, executive director of Greenpeace U.K., said North Hoyle’s
construction marks an important first step towards a cleaner future for the
U.K. He said, “This is the beginning of mainstream offshore wind power
development and the dawn of a new era. Global warming is the greatest
threat facing the planet, but the power flowing ashore today demonstrates
we have the solutions to tackle it. It’s great news for all our futures.”
Energy Minister Stephen Timms also gave his backing, saying, “I visited
North Hoyle earlier this year and saw for myself the wind farm under
construction. I think everybody understands that we do have to change the
way that we consume and generate electricity and this is a very welcome and
very important step in the right direction.”
In an address to be broadcast at the ‘switch-on’ of the wind farm, Prime
Minister Blair congratulated those involved in the project: “Rolling out
this first large-scale offshore wind venture is a highly significant step
toward achieving Britain’s renewables targets. We are on course for a
future that can be transformed by the use of clean forms of energy.”
Contrast this with the 50s mentality of Cheney and the Repubes that coal produced electricity is the answer.
Del
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