Letter: Turbine truth

A YouGov opinion poll commissioned by Scottish Renewables found 78 per cent of those surveyed agreed wind farms were necessary (your report, 19 October).

Why is that not a surprise? Because the public have not been told the truth about wind turbines.

A different result would have been recorded if the following were declared: developers always state the capacity of a wind turbine, not the actual output which is only 25 per cent. Devious.

Every turbine receives subsidies ranging from 275,000 to 500,000 every year. This subsidy is being stealthily added to our energy bills. Scottish Renewables persistently refers to "thousands of highly-paid and highly-skilled jobs". Where exactly are these?

The new offshore Thanet wind farm is owned by Swedish company Vattenfall and the turbines were built by Vesta in Denmark.

More than 80 per cent of the equipment, services and manpower were imported. Vattenfall will "harvest" 1.2billion in subsidies.

The renewables industry fails to reveal that conventional power stations must always be on standby for when the wind does not blow.

Denmark and Germany have belatedly recognised that wind turbines are a failed experiment and have not reduced CO2 or closed one conventional power plant.

I suggest another survey after the "lights go out".

Clark Cross

Springfield Road

Linlithgow