Wind turbines may be a lot of hot air

It is clear that “renewables” advocates are the true heirs of the Luddites opposing reliable energy policies that would protect both the vulnerable and the environment.

The fact is that wind power implies building the same capacity twice over because the intermittent nature of such energy requires a “spinning reserve” of close to 100 per cent. In addition, the gas-fired back-up will run inefficiently as it responds to the vagaries of the wind so the units will emit more CO2 than if they did the whole job alone.

The solution is to just build gas-fired plants and forget about wind as a serious source of power because with shale gas about to come on-stream, supplies will be almost infinite.

Renewables may have a place at the margin, or in remote locations, but wind turbines are closer to being garden ornaments than serious generators of power for the National Grid.

Wind farms will become the rusting relics of our politicians’ compulsion to do something, even if that something is both damaging and counter-productive.

(Dr) John Cameron

Howard Place

St Andrews

Niall Stuart (Letters, 11 April), the voice of the renewables industry, claims that “the renewables sector displaced more that five million tonnes of CO2…”

This number is pure speculation as no measurement of carbon reductions due to wind turbines is actually made.

However, even if this claim were true, let’s put it in some sort or perspective.

In the period between 2008 and 2010, China and India between them were adding around 100 million tonnes of CO2-generating equipment per month.

This mad rush to build wind turbines all over our world-renowned landscapes benefits landowners and developers but impoverishes electricity consumers, and all for a negligible carbon emission impact.

It’s time our politicians came to their senses.

GM Lindsay

Kinross

David Bell (Platform, 11 April) is only partly right in arguing for planners to take account of “economic considerations”.

It is just as important for planners to balance the economic benefits against economic costs.

Take, for example, the proliferation of on-shore wind turbines and their physical, social and economic impact.

Difficult it may be but cost-benefit analysis can calculate monetary values on “intangible assets” like landscapes.

Also an “externality” like the cost of noise on residents can be given a monetary value.

Moreover, planners and economists should be aware of the relationship between economic growth and human wellbeing.

Ellis Thorpe

Old Chapel Walk

Inverurie, Aberdeenshire