Following Mr Jim Mitchell’s foaming at the mouth letter last week we have a 2:1 victory for wind energy generation in The Buteman this week.
First off, thank you Mr Mick Common for writing in with some well made points. It’s nice to know that not everyone on Bute views the prospect of wind turbines with a knee-jerk reaction!
©The Buteman
Secondly, thank you Mr Kennedy-Boyle for identifying Mr Mitchell’s really rather slanderous comments. It’s nice to know that not everyone on Bute views the prospect of wind turbine developers with a knee-jerk reaction!
©The Buteman
Mr Tony Burns exhibits the classic ‘Rothesay style’ of letter writing, suggesting that the Tory parties’ rumoured desire for 25% cuts in ‘wind subsidies’ will provoke ‘[the] squeal of snouts being wrenched from the subsidy trough’.
Words (redacted at his request 24.01.2018) ©Tony Burns
Originally published in and
©The Buteman
It’s a charming image Mr Burns. Unfortunately there are just a few problems with it:
- Wind energy generation is not directly ‘subsidised’ by taxpayers.
- Feed in Tariff payments are made by power companies.
- Other forms of power generation enjoy much more generous direct or indirect government support.
The International Energy Agency states that ‘latest estimates indicate that fossil-fuel consumption subsidies worldwide amounted to $409 billion in 2010, up from $300 billion in 2009, with subsidies to oil products representing almost half of the total. Changes in international fuel prices are chiefly responsible for differences in subsidy costs from year to year. The increase in the global amount of subsidy in 2010 closely tracked the sharp rise in international fuel prices.’
The price of the wind, however, has not changed in all this time. And it doesn’t release any CO2 when it’s turned into electricity!