The Scotsman June 11, 2009

Wind farm will never produce power readily available at flick of a switch
Yet again we see the misleading statement that Whitelee wind farm “generates enough electricity to power 180,000 homes” (”O power of Scotland, we’ll see your like again… and again and again, 10 June).

Indeed, it might just about make that total amount of electricity each year, but it will never be reliably available “at the flick of a switch”. Sometimes it will make none, occasionally a lot more and most of the time will wobble up and down on each side of that average amount.

So there we have the problem. Would you continue to visit a shop which was often and unpredictably closed and when open could rarely supply you with a desired commodity in the right amount? Of course not, and the only way such an establishment could avoid bankruptcy would be legislation to keep it open and a constant drip-feed of cash from another source.

That is exactly what the Renewables Obligation and Climate Change Levy exemption do for windpower, resulting in electricity at twice the “supermarket” price for which all consumers pay in a hidden price-hike. No-one can avoid this because of the “obligation” to purchase legally binding on the supply companies.

(DR) JOHN ETHERINGTON

Llanhowell

Solva, Pembrokeshire