Environment Agency announces plans for 80 wind turbines

The Environment Agency yesterday announced plans to site up to 80 wind turbines on its land, and urged other public sector bodies to follow suit by locating more renewable energy technologies on their land.

Speaking at the Agency's annual conference, chairman Lord Chris Smith said that the 80 new wind turbines would provide enough electricity for 90,000 households.

He added that more public sector bodies should take advantage of the Carbon Trust's Partnership For Renewables initiative, which provides the public sector bodies with advice and funding to help them better exploit the renewable energy potential locked up in the 10 per cent of UK land they control.

A spokeswoman for the Environment Agency said that the plan to build new wind turbines was in its early stages and that the first turbine was unlikely to come online before 2011.

"The first stage will be to scope out the land we own and select the best sites, then we will consult with local residents, before making a planning application," she explained. "If we have a completely clear process with no obstacles, we'd hope to have the first turbines in place by 2011."

She added that with the chancellor having just announced an extension to the Renewables Obligation (RO) support mechanism, there was a strong commercial case for public sector bodies to consider developing onshore wind capacity on their land.

The announcement is the latest coup for the Partnership for Renewables, which is beginning to attract considerable support from a both private and public sector bodies.

Earlier this year, HSBC shelled out £18m to take a 49 per cent stake in the organisation and provided a £30m revolving construction capital facility that takes its equity to an estimated £100m.

Meanwhile, last month British Waterways announced it was to work with Partnership for Renewables to install 50 wind turbines and micro-hydro projects on canal-side land.

Lord Smith's announcement came as part of a wide-reaching speech in which he also urged the government to launch a "Green New Deal" designed to accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy.

"We need a Green New Deal to meet our carbon emissions targets and create jobs in renewable energy and green technology," he said, adding that the government should "hold its nerve" in the face of calls to relax environmental goals.

"We need an ambitious and coherent strategy for the future, which is matched by investment by government to kick-start key projects," he said, calling on the government to increase energy efficiency incentives, accelerate plans for carbon capture and storage plants, and provide greater support for renewable energy, including biomass, tidal and combined heat and power plants.