In a striking turn of events, the UK has incurred an astonishing £1 billion in costs associated with wasted wind power this year, as Energy Secretary Ed Miliband pledged to reduce household energy bills by £300, reports BritPanorama.
This significant expenditure arises from the practice of shutting down wind turbines when the energy grid is unable to accommodate the generated power, necessitating reliance on alternative sources such as gas-fired plants. Last year, similar costs amounted to £734 million at this time.
According to calculations provided by the Wasted Wind tracking website, this year’s staggering figure casts doubt on Miliband’s ambitions to double onshore wind capacity by 2030, raising concerns over the financial implications for consumers.
In the backdrop of these developments, household energy bills have risen by £15 annually due to turbine shutdowns, with the price cap now set at £1,755, up from £1,720. Criticism from the Conservative Party intensified as the new price cap took effect, highlighting the escalating costs to consumers.
Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho criticized Miliband’s strategy, stating, “We have been warning about this. Ed Miliband’s plans to build more wind farms than ever before will mean Brits spending eye-watering sums just to switch off wind farms when there’s too much wind.”
She further warned that these costs could quadruple to £8 billion annually if Labour’s targets come to fruition, arguing that Britain’s financial landscape cannot sustain such burdens.
Additional scrutiny arose from Miliband’s recent announcement of a permanent ban on fracking, a method viewed by some as a potential solution for boosting national energy reserves. During his speech at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, he urged activists to reject what he termed as the “frackers.”
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice responded, asserting that the ban represents a missed opportunity for the UK to develop valuable shale gas resources, which he claims are essential for job creation and lower energy bills.
