HUHNE BACKS WIND TURBINE INCREASE

Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has paved the way for a controversial increase in wind turbines
12 April 2012

Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has paved the way for a controversial increase in wind turbines to prevent the UK suffering a power crisis.

Mr Huhne spoke out in favour of extra onshore and offshore wind power as he prepared to make a key policy statement to the Commons on Tuesday.

In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, the Liberal Democrat cabinet minister also insisted the government had "no money" to subsidise new nuclear plants.

But he said he expected such power stations would go ahead - even though under the coalition agreement Lib Dem MPs can register their opposition by abstaining from any parliamentary vote.

Mr Huhne said it was vital that Britain became more independent in energy production to allow it to withstand "shocks from the outside world" which could send prices soaring for both households and businesses.

"There is going to be a strong emphasis on the economic benefit of becoming more independent of energy imports. The lights will not go out on my watch," he said. Currently the UK imports nearly a third of its energy - much of it from unstable regions such as Russia and the Middle East.

Mr Huhne said onshore wind turbines were "incredibly competitive" in producing electricity, but admitted they were "not always as popular in the area where (they are) proposed as you might hope".

The Energy Secretary said enabling Britain to be totally self sufficient thanks to renewable sources - which also included wave power and harnessing tidal streams - would be an "extraordinary prize".

Asked if such an outcome was feasible he replied: "It implies quite a stretch as it implies we would be building an awful lot of turbines around our coasts. But the technology is changing. It is becoming substantially cheaper to generate from these renewable sources."

Mr Huhne took a dimmer view of nuclear power stations, claiming: "We basically said exactly the same as Labour on the point about no public subsidy. I suspect the difference is that we mean it."

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