Which way is the wind blowing?

We’ve had a period when wind was king and Planning Inspectors lent over backwards to deliver what the Government wanted, i.e. more and more on-shore turbines so as to meet the UK’s renewable energy targets. Inevitably, a lot of heritage sites have been damaged in the process.

But suddenly last month the thing went into reverse and the PM said we shouldn’t expect to see many more on-shore developments. But why? It’s unlikely the heritage lobby has been heeded. More likely, it’s that those voters who fear turbines will lower their house prices are now being courted. Quite a change of status from being labeled as selfish nimbies or yokels to be bought off with the promise of cheap electricity! But why now? Just a guess, but maybe the “nimbies” along the route of HS2 have brought home to the Government strategists the electoral consequences of upsetting householders….

But the U-turn has taken a bizarre twist. In order to demonstrate it’s a decision based on logic not vote-catching the Government has commissioned a study to see if turbines DO affect prices. A bit late, eh? And who has ever doubted they do? But that’s what’s happening. Owen Paterson, the Environment Secretary has commissioned it (see http://invezz.com/news/real-estate/5070-do-wind-turbines-impact-uk-home-prices). It has been said that Ed Davey’s Department of Energy and Climate Change was trying to block it on the grounds it would indeed show what it will indeed show!

Weird or what? Half the Government is getting ready to say wind turbines drive down house prices and the other half is allegedly wanting to deny it! Still, that’s half a step ahead of America. See this …..

That article was based on a study supported by – guess who? The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (Wind and Water Power Technologies Office) of the U.S. Department of Energy !