Davey defends onshore windfarm subsidies

Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister and Ed Davey, Climate Secretary have led a fight-back campaign against Conservative MPs calling for the government subsidies for wind power to be cut.

The campaign for the cuts was instigated by a letter to the Prime Minister, David Cameron from Conservative bench-holders calling for a “dramatic cut” in subsidiaries for onshore windfarms and for there to be new planning rules to assist local communities to object to their introduction.

The Deputy Prime Minister has defended to subsidies to assist with renewable energy competing with fossil fuels. Clegg commented:

“The race is on to lead the world in clean, green energy. Last year we saw record-breaking global investment in renewables, outstripping the cash piled into fossil fuels. The new economic powerhouses – China, India, Korea, Brazil – are now serious contenders for that capital. In today's world, the savviest states understand that going for growth means going green. Low-carbon markets are the next frontier in the battle for global pre-eminence. I want the UK to be the number one destination for green investment. We're in this race to win it."

Davey supported:

“I’ve been a lifelong supporter of renewable and wind power and I'm not going to change now. I think that onshore and offshore wind power has a real place in a balanced mix of energy generation so I'm a huge supporter of renewables and I'm going to make sure that they have a real role to play in the future."

"We don't want to repeat the mistakes of the past where we have polluted our planet, where our country has been dependent on fossil fuel imports, where the price is high and variable … we want to make sure we have our own energy production that is clean and green."

"I think the case [for wind subsidies] is pretty compelling. Already we've seen through the subsidies that this government has invested in onshore wind that the price has come down to make onshore wind competitive, so we've got money to invest in all sorts of renewables because of the success of these investments."

Conservative MP, Laura Sandys has also spoken in support of wind power:

“Wind often gets a bad press but actually it costs the average UK household only £10 a year and generates electricity 80% of the time. Onshore, offshore, marine, solar, waste to energy should all form part of our mixed energy economy. As a collective, these technologies have the capability to help guard families across the country against energy price shocks."

Clegg and Davey’s strong words have been welcomed by energy campaigners.