27.07.2004

Wind farms and Politics

Wind farms have created a good deal of work for the UK crane hire industry and access providers in recent years. A major increase in the type of work is scheduled in the years ahead as the Labour government aims for its target of obtaining at least 10 per cent of the country’s electricity from renewable sources, mainly wind mills.

Michael Howard, leader of the Conservatives, the UK’s main opposition party, has declared that he would make it much more difficult for government to overrule local objections to wind farm development and aim to slow down the current and planned pace for wind farm development, should he of course win power in the next general election.

The party will also attack current government plans to speed up and make it easier to obtain approvals for wind farm development.

The subject of wind farm site selection is becoming a significant issue in the UK and will present many crane and access operators with a dilemma, including perhaps how to vote at the next election!