Wednesday 5 January 2011

Government support of renewable dangerous, says Utilyx

Wind may not be the panacea that government believes it is says leading analyst. As the Department of Energy and Climate Change announced record gains in wind power capacity, energy specialist Utilyx have questioned if wind can provide the UK with security of supply.

Andrew Horstead, a risk analyst at Utilyx, said: "Record demand has been met with supply, but at a price climbing to levels not seen for over two years. With power demand also soaring to record levels in recent days, the government must be mindful that output from the UK's existing wind generation has provided less than 1% of our total requirements, when we need it most, which is clearly not enough to sustain a green Britain during a white winter."

Utilyx, one of the largest energy buyers in the UK, said wind's contribution to the energy mix was only up 0.9% from 0.7% the day before. This is due to the unreliable nature of wind, creating security of supply issues and volatile prices.

"To keep the Christmas lights on in coming years, the Government must recognize the need to draw from a diverse energy mix, including clean cool and nucleaer builds. Now really is the time for action, not further deliberation."