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The UK now boasts 6GW of wind energy capacity, enough to
provide power to over 3.3 million homes, according to the
latest update from trade association RenewableUK.
The group has confirmed that the 6GW threshold had been passed
after it was announced that the Ormonde offshore wind farm
off the coast of Cumbria now has 120MW of capacity operational.
"This is a landmark achievement," said RenewableUK
Chief Executive, Maria McCaffery. "There's a great feeling
of pride throughout the industry that we've reached a record
high of 6GW and there's a further 19.5GW of capacity under
construction, consented, or in planning."
She added that the industry remained confident that it could
deliver on the target set out in the government's renewable
energy roadmap for 31GW of onshore and offshore wind capacity
to be in place by 2020.
"The government's Renewable Energy Roadmap is calling for
31GW of onshore and offshore wind combined by 2020 and we're
confident that we can deliver this if we continue to get the
right level of government support," she said.
Speaking at RenewableUK's annual parliamentary reception,
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said the government
remained fully committed to accelerating the expansion of
the UK's wind energy sector.
"Working together, we can reach even greater heights," he
said. "We are eager to ensure that the UK becomes the natural
home for the most innovative, ambitious and inspiring renewable
energy companies in the world and we will continue to work
with the industry to drive down costs and encourage even stronger
growth in the years to come."
The report came on the same day as a controversial report
from the centre-right thinktank Policy Exchange, which called
on the government to ditch its renewable energy targets and
its support for offshore wind energy on the grounds that it
would add £400 to household costs by 2020.
The report was dismissed by the government as "flawed", but
in a remarkable intervention, Energy and Climate Change Secretary
Chris Huhne labelled the study as "nonsense on stilts".
Writing during an online
question and answer session hosted by Which?,
Huhne responded to a question on the report with a stinging
attack on the Policy Exchange's methodologies and motives
for releasing the report.
"There is no such increase in the cost to families, but what
there are is a load of rather silly thinktanks trying to differentiate
themselves in a crowded market by coming up with wild and
woolly estimates to get headlines in the Daily Mail and
the Daily Telegraph," he wrote.
"They would save an awful lot of people some high blood pressure
moments if their so-called economists bothered to pop in to
DECC and get put right on some elementary A-level howlers.
All our figures are there to see on the website and we are
committed to updating them every year.
"We have SAVED families money compared with the last
government by removing the levies for carbon capture and storage
and the renewable heat incentive. Overall, the impact of our
policies on bills in 2020 is estimated to CUT bills by seven
per cent."
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