Anti-Wind Group: Renewable Energy Foundation

Just after the government announced major plans for a wind power expansion in the UK a report appears criticising the potential of wind. That's a bit odd considering the momentum behind this most developed of renewable energies, particularly when studies have shown that it is just such large scale plans as announced by the government that most effectively deal with variability by dispersing generating systems over a wide geographical area. So who is behind this report?

It's funded by the innocuously named Renewable Energy Foundation. There is some PR blurb on the website but perhaps a quote from it's chair Nole Edmonds (yes the one off TV!) clarifies things most easily:

"Politicians are promoting wind turbines as a green icon, but they are misleading the public into believing the propaganda of the wind industry. The reality is that wind power is too costly and can never meet our energy needs- but it will destroy the countryside."

Whatever you think of wind power it's quite clear that reports produced for this group should be taken with a grain of salt: they are certainly not objective.

However, the report has been gladly taken up by...

• The Telegraph
• The Daily Mail

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