Urgent plea to build wind farm factories in the UK

THE UK must seize a "once in a generation" opportunity to build factories to supply offshore wind farm developments, the Government has been told.

A failure to attract major companies to set up facilities to support Europe's fast-growing offshore wind sector will see the UK losing tens of thousands of jobs and investment to other countries, an industry body has warned.

A report by RenewableUK suggests that in order to deliver planned wind farms Europe will need 64 major manufacturing facilities, but less than a quarter of the working or planned facilities are in the UK.

Between now and 2030 as many as 7,930 turbine towers could be needed for UK offshore wind farms, along with 23,790 turbine blades and more than 9,000km (5,600 miles) of cables, the industry body also said.

The UK would need dozens of factories to supply the sector and more than 20 huge seagoing vessels for installation and 230 ships to carry workers to and from working turbines, but it is not yet clear if the facilities will be constructed in this country.

RenewableUK's chief executive Maria McCaffery said: "This is a once in a generation opportunity. If we don't seize it, the large-scale offshore wind farm supply chain factories of the future, making the enormous blades, towers and foundations that we'll need to retain the UK's global lead in offshore wind, will be sited elsewhere.

"The potential to create tens of thousands of green-collar manufacturing jobs hangs in the balance. We are determined to work with government to ensure that the UK capitalises on this chance to build an industry which will be the envy of the rest of the world."

The UK is a world leader in offshore wind but the domestic market has lost momentum and the industry needs certainty from government over the sector's long-term future in order to invest in supply chains, which will be critical to bringing down the cost of the technology.

Energy Minister Michael Fallon said: "Offshore wind is a British success story. We already have more installed offshore wind than anywhere else in the world and this brings enormous benefit to our shores, supporting thousands of skilled jobs.

"This report sets out the enormous potential of this dynamic industry which makes a crucial contribution to our clean energy mix."

Under Government plans for renewables, there is potential for up a huge increase in offshore wind farms to be installed by the end of the decade.

However, the report follows the news that planning guidance in England will be changed to ensure local opposition can override national energy targets.

Local communities are to be given more powers to block wind farms, but also offered greater incentives to accept them, the government has said.

Wind energy and utility resistance

The general manager of resource planning at SCANA, the parent company of SCE&G, has agreed to be on a panel next week to talk about solar and wind energy, even though the utility's stance on solar power is less than consumer-friendly.

Also on the panel are Nikolaos Rigas, senior scientist and director of Clemson's Wind Turbine Testing Facility; Hamilton Davis, the energy and climate director for the Coastal Conservation League; and Thomas French, the executive director of the SC Clean Energy Business Alliance.

The discussion, sponsored by the Charleston Area League of Women Voters, at 6 p.m. April 10 in North Charleston City Hall will focus on four key questions about wind and solar power.

Christe McCoy-Lawrence, the league's director of natural resources, emphasized that this won't be a debate. Each panelist will have 10-12 minutes to speak, and then the audience will be able to ask questions.

If the overflow crowds from last fall's SCE&G rate increase hearings show up, it could be a very lively question-and-answer session. Here's one question not on the agenda: Why is SCE&G so against its customers being able to save money?

The economic barriers to solar power are such that it's mostly companies like Boeing, or smaller environmentally minded ones like Half Moon Outfitters, that can afford the upfront installation costs, or are willing to absorb them.

"Every state develops its own system, and we have developed a very centralized utility-centered system — it's a matter of trying to make the transition," said McCoy-Lawrence.

That's a very polite way of saying that the utilities generally call the shots. After all, when was the last time your electric rates went down?

Heck, try to take steps to reduce your energy use, and SCE&G's weather normalization adjustment might make that backfire on you. So don't expect them to be thrilled about customers wanting to cut back on energy consumption.

Under current regulations, only the most dedicated customers with the financial means will be able to install solar panels at home. A bill in the Legislature would change that, allowing customers to lease panels instead of buying them. As McCoy-Lawrence points out, nonprofits, hospitals and schools could all benefit from that change.

There's really no reason for SCE&G to have such unfriendly terms for consumers interested in doing the right thing by using a renewable resource. After all, whatever small profit they might lose, they can make it up with their next rate increase.

One thing won't change: people want reliable, on-demand access to power, so it's unlikely any utility would shed large numbers of customers if the leasing option becomes available.

But right now, the perception is that SCE&G puts profits ahead of renewable resources, with the state's blessing.

If that changes as a result of this panel discussion or the law being passed, it could be good news for both SCE&G and its customers.