The Norwich Green Party supports the development of true renewable energy (not nuclear, not 'clean coal', not agro-biofuels) as these industries are crucial to our region's economic health, and also in the fight against dangerous climate change. Green councillors work to build the support needed for a flourishing marine and wind energy sector to develop across East Anglia.
Samir Jeraj, Green Party Councillor for Town Close ward, said: "True renewables are crucial to our region's economic health, and also in the fight against dangerous climate change. Green councillors are working hard to remove the political barriers and allow this vital renewable energy development to proceed without further delay. It is appalling that the UK is third from bottom in UK for renewables. We call on the Government to do its bit and drop expensive and dirty nuclear energy, and put political will into expanding the UK renewables sector rapidly."
This would be good for people and climate. With real political will, 25 per cent of UK energy could be generated from wind energy by 2020, whilst 'big wave' and tidal power projects and roof-mounted solar PV panels that are becoming cheaper could provide another 25 per cent. If the UK could achieve this, then it would help us fight climate change and fuel poverty. Government energy policy is confused, and ministers are prevaricating over clean energy when the UK is third from bottom in renewables provision out of 27 EU states. The longer the Government leaves giving real political backing to renewables, then the more many citizens will suffer in the future with high energy costs.
In the case of wind energy, offshore turbines can provide significant and reliable quantities - a significant part of UK renewable energy in the future. Onshore, we support small-scale community wind turbines and renewable energy facilities built with new housing providing local energy, and will lobby local and national Government to put in the place the schemes that can encourage and support such schemes. Green City Councillors are already making a difference on this issue (see for instance our GreenView newspaper, spring 2008).
We also believe there is a need for some larger scale onshore wind developments too, though where possible these should feed into a localised grid and provide energy for communities close-by. Such turbines need to be, and can be, sensitively planned to reduce their local impact, so that they do not bring with them more road building or impacts to landscapes of national beauty. However, the challenge of climate change is a very significant one and the onus now must be to enable the renewable energy sector to grow quickly.
Quick growth of wind energy faces a number of barriers. These include objections from the MoD, inconsistencies within the planning system and undemocratic decision making.
The Green Party believes that wind turbines should not compromise national security or air safety. However, it is clear from recent cases that the Ministry of Defence can make objections on a general basis that they later retract after a more detailed technical analysis. An example being the Hethel case in South Norfolk, where MoD comments contributed to the rejection of a wind application. Radar science is complex but it is clear that simple 'line of sight' objections (if the turbine is in line of sight of a radar installation) are not sufficiently accurate. Cases where planning is refused and then planning approval has to be re-sought are expensive to the industry and cause unnecessary delay to meeting Government renewable energy targets.
The Green Party recently called on the Government to remove this barrier from the 'system': in March 2008 two Norwich Green Party councillors, Andrew Boswell and Rupert Read, wrote an open letter to Energy (Malcolm Wickes, MP) and Defence (Des Browne, MP) ministers calling for a Government inquiry:
Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 22 should encourage Planning Committees to give consent to wind energy projects where possible. However, we believe that Government is not doing enough to ensure that local planners fully follow its recommendations as we know of examples where it is applied differently between planners on different Councils.
We have also fought hard to prevent objections being raised in the planning system via undemocratic means. An example was when a single Conservative Party councillor (Adrian Gunson) was able to raise a strategic objection to a major wind farm off the North Norfolk coast that would provide the energy capacity of about one fifth of a nuclear power station. Councillor Andrew Boswell challenged this decision widely in the Press at the time - this has led to greater debate and awareness at County Hall when looking at wind applications.