Turbine blow

IT WOULD appear that the subsidies that have fuelled the triffid-like spread of onshore wind farms are likely to be dramatically ­curtailed.

The Renewables Obligation subsidy scheme which is funded through green levies on consumer energy bills will be shut down earlier than expected thus preventing thousands of turbines being built.

Amber Rudd, the new energy secretary at the Department of Energy and Climate Change, has certainly hit the ground running and she is a vast improvement on the previous incumbent Ed “green” Davey.

The only worrying point is that the Queen’s Speech indicated that the UK government intended to end subsidies for onshore wind but would consult with the Scottish Government before applying it to Scottish turbines, which is where the majority of proposed turbines are due to be built.

If Nicola Sturgeon wants to build more turbines then Scotland’s electricity consumers can pay for the subsidies leaving the rest of the UK with far cheaper energy bills.

That would certainly set the scene for next year’s Scottish ­elections.

Clark Cross

Springfield Road

Linlithgow, West Lothian