MR Peter Johnston adds his voice to those of the wind farm protesters, saying we should concentrate our efforts on wave power, instead of disfiguring the landscape with wind farms.
He is wrong! We need wind farms AND wave power, and every other source of renewable energy we can lay our hands on, and we need them now!
Global warming is already having a devastating effect on our planet. This will get worse! But just as serious is the state of our energy industry.
When the generation and distribution of electricity was nationalised by Labour in 1947, the Central Electricity Generating Board and the National Grid were formed. Huge amounts of money were pumped in, and new power stations were built throughout the UK. Engineering and construction companies flourished, as their expertise was called upon to build and equip these stations. But where are these companies now?
The CEGB, the National Grid, and the regional boards were sold off by the Tories. And, as predicted by the Tories, the cost of energy to the customer fell, due to the competition between the new companies.
But, because of this competition, and because these private companies - unlike the CEGB - are in it for profits to pay out to shareholders and fat cat bosses, they do not have the money for investment once enjoyed by the CEGB.
Most of the stations built for the CEGB were coal-fired. At that time, of course, we had a thriving National Coal Board. We all know what the Tories did to the coal industry. So on whom do we now depend for our coal?
It is alarming to think that these power stations are now coming to the end of their life. Many have already gone. So, with few engineering companies left with the expertise to equip power stations, can these private power companies cope with future demand? Already more and more power cuts occur. An omen of worse to come?
One thing is absolutely certain, and that is that the cost of energy is going to rocket. It has to, to pay for the tragic lack of investment since privatisation.
Brian Derbyshire
Ribchester Grove
Bolton
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