Support Wind

on clook

The Website of
Mersey Wind Energy Supporters

At last! Someone has proposed to build wind turbines on Frodsham Marshes, to make use of the winds that come down the River Mersey and up the Goyt Valley. Mersey Wind Energy Supporters was set up, a group of loca people, to raise public support for the Frodsham Wind Farm and wind power elsewhere on the River Mersey. This site:

gives information about MWES
and some reasons why MWES people support the proposal
explains some aspects of Frodsham Wind Farm in a more structured and detailed way
gives some information about wind power,
provides links to other information
dispels some myths raised by opposers of the Frodsham Wind Farm.

The Frodsham Wind Farm was agreed by the UK Secretary of State for the Environment in October 2012, after a long Public Inquiry and deliberation period thereafter.

These pages will be kept up, and material added to them that makes them more general. Such material will be in this smaller font.

Frodsham Wind Farm

The 'someone' who has proposed Frodsham Wind Farm is Peel Energy, the owners of the land. Peel Energy has made an application for 20 wind turbines in two groups, half near Frodsham, half near Elton.

Problem is, the anti-wind people have had a lot of success in preventing wind power installations over the past few years, preventing some bad schemes but also preventing some good schemes that should have gone ahead.

Wind power is so important to the future, that we need to learn as a society how best to generate and use it. Somebody must generate power from the Mersey winds! If the owner of the land is prevented from doing this, what hope is there for other people?

So it is important to support Peel Energy in their application, even if we might have a few reservations. The question we ask ourselves is: Are my reservations strong enough that I would want to prevent wind power on Frodsham Marshes? Our answer is, "No!" - Frodsham Marshes should have wind generators.

MWES - Mersey Wind Energy Supporters

Early February 2010 Peel Energy invited a number of people they knew to support wind power to a meeting. Those who attended decided to form Mersey Wind Energy Supporters, a group to publicise the advantages of wind energy in the locality (Frodsham, Helsby, Elton, Ince, Kingsley, etc.), and broadly support the Peel proposal.

Though arising from a Peel initiative, MWES is completely independent of Peel Energy. We reserve the right to criticise Peel where necessary. But our most urgent task is to gather public support for, or fair awareness of, wind power on Frodsham Marshes, so that the Town and Parish Councils, and the Cheshire West & Chester (CWAC) Council will know there are people who support wind power and this scheme. Our most urgent task is to leaflet Frodsham homes to raise awareness.

If you would like to help, please ring 01928 733930 (Andrew Basden).

It is standard for wind power companies to contribute a fund for community use during the life of their wind turbines (around 25 years). Peel have told us they will do this. This fund is to be under local control, and not controlled by councils. It is also intended for environmentally positive projects. It is likely also that MWES will take a lead in forming the steering group to administer this fund.

Some Reasons MWES People Give for Supporing The Project

"I support UK-based power because being too dependent on oil has led to war and strife, and propped up oppressive governments."
Someone else had a much more local perspective, and liked the idea because it would put money into the community that they could use for good works.
"I believe we should take responsibility for the electric power we use. It should be generated where we can see it being produced, not in some distant, invisible place. Any bad impacts of electricity generation should fall on we who use it, not on others.
Wind power is one of the best in this regard: it can be generated where it is used."
"I, personally, think we need to get into renewable power because energy demand will always grow faster than fossil fuel supply, so prices have to go up- while wind power will only get cheaper."
My house overlooks Frodsham marshes, and for over 20 years I have thought "That is an excellent place to put wind generators. The winds coming down the Mersey could be generating power for us." - A.B.

Useful Links:


Who	What Page is About
Sites of Organisations
DECC	Department of Energy and Climate Change
Peel Energy Frodsham	Summary of Peel Energy's application for planning consent for the Frodsham Wind Farm.
British Wind Energy Association	A lot about wind energy from the producers.
Friends of the Earth wind subsite	Wind energy information by Friends of the Earth
GoodEnergy electricity provider	GoodEnergy gets 100% of its energy from renewable sources. Switch from your usual supplier; tariffs comparable. Phone = 0845 456 1640.
Ecotricity electricity provider	Ecotricity is dedicated to changing the way electricity is made - they take the money you spend on your electricity bills and turn it into new sources of green energy, especially wind turbines. Running a not-for-dividend business model, they're free to dedicate all their money to this mission. Switch from your usual supplier now: easy.
The Green Providers Directory	The UK's leading not-for-profit resource for finding green, organic and fair trade goods and services.
Pages and Sites Containing Information about Wind Energy
Dispelling Myths	This page directly dispels the wrong beliefs people (including RAW) cite about wind energy. It give easy-to-read facts to counter each myth, with a reference to sources from where they get their information. An excellent page.
'Wind Energy The Facts'	Copious factual information about wind energy, from a European Wind Energy Association project to make it available. Seems of good quality.
Wind Atlas of Europe	Clearly shows how the U.K. is much windier than rest of Europe. Very interesting map. Spain, less windy, has more wind power than U.K.!
Wind Energy Costs from Hansard	Gives authoritative costs of wind energy per kWH both for 2010 and estimates for what it will cost in 2020. Wind compares very favourably with gas, nuclear, etc.
Paper on bird deaths - abstract of academic paper published in Energy Policy, and link to full paper.	Do wind turbines kill birds? Not nearly as many (per Gigawatt-hour) as fossil fuel power stations, and even less than nuclear power stations. Academic research suggests that wind power kills fewer birds per unit of energy produced than fossil fuels. The data is sketchy, but it seems like coal power is about ten times as bad for bird life.
WindTracker Survey	The majority of people support wind power.
Wind-Works findings	People who live near wind turbines tend to find they're less intrusive than they expected.
BWEA surveys of attitudes to wind power	Survey after survey shows overwhelming support for wind power, even by those who live near wind farms.
WWEA World Wind Energy Report 2009	Denmark, where wind power is already contributing 20% of its electricity needs, is adding yet more wind power.
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveryors, U.K.	Property prices shows no correlation with proximity to windfarms. An apparent lowering of prices is due to other factors.
REPP	Contruction of a windfarm shows no effect on property prices.
U.K. National Health Service	Claim that wind farms are associated with health problems (especially 'wind turbine syndrome') is unfounded.
World Health Organisation	WHO says wind power is among safest forms of electricity generation
Meteorological Office	Wind power 'fits the job': In the north-west of England at least, windspeeds are highest in winter, when energy demand is. high
U.K. Energy RC	Variability of windpower is easily managed on the National Grid
Scottish Government	People who live near windfarms say that they were worried beforehand, but are happy with them now

EmbraceMyPlanet	"Do you want to support renewable energy? Do you think wind power can help towards reducing climate change? Would you like to get involved?"
Yes2Wind	Mainly about one particular wind farm.
Norway	Norway plans to build the world's most powerful wind turbine, hoping the new technology will increase the profitability of costly offhsore wind farms. According to the NTB news agency, the prototype will cost 400 million kroner to build and could supply power to 2,000 homes.
Fenland cooperative	A useful page setting out some facts about variability of wind power, plus load factors etc.

Contact.

Created: 28 February 2010. Updated: 14 March 2010 table errors corrected, and more added. 16 March 2010 more links. 18 March 2010 wind atlas. 23 March 2010 more. 23 April 2010 fenland.