Blot here and there (From Milford Mercury)

Blot here and there

12:38pm Friday 15th March 2013 in Letters

MR Jessop (Western Telegraph letters, March 6th) fails to explain that the reason why the UK is increasing reliant upon imported gas, is because our efficient, lower cost, coal-fired power stations are being unnecessarily closed down at an alarming rate.

Nevertheless, our government has wisely decided that these substantial generating losses are replaced by reliable gas-fired stations, rather than unreliable and unpredictable wind powered generators – otherwise the lights will go out.

Indeed, wind generation is now so unreliable and unpredictable that in their Winter Outlook for 2012/13, National Grid assumes a whopping 90% loss of generation availability for wind generation, compared to just 6% for open cycle gas turbine generation.

Of course, all of us are contributing to the lorry loads of cash going out of the country each week, but only a chosen few have access to the lorry loads of cash coming into the county to subsidise the cash guzzling feed in tariffs he supports. Just think of the jobs that money would create if invested in industry and commerce.

Mr Jessop wrongly assumes that people only object to wind powered electricity for aesthetic reasons, many like me object because it is expensive, unreliable and reduces wealth/job creating investment.

Still, we now have it on record that Mr Jessop believes that a blot here and there on the skyline is a price worth paying for profitable energy farming – so bring on the fracking rigs!

WILLIAM O’BRIEN

Kylemore

Llangolman