By Lyndsey Ward, spokeswoman for Communities B4 Power Companies, Beauly, from The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire), December 6, 2023; cf. www.wind-watch.org
Sir, – The recent period of cold, windless weather, known as a “dunkelflaute” (a German word referring to a period of winter weather with low light and little to no wind), should serve as lesson to energy policymakers. Temperatures plummeted right across the UK and the thousands of onshore and offshore turbines struggled to meet 2% of demand.
These dunkelflautes are not uncommon during the winter months, and as it gets colder and wind fails, we are forced to pay exorbitant amounts to keep the lights on, as reliable generation has to step in.
Our government’s solution?
To triple onshore and offshore wind so we can watch in disbelief as treble the amount of turbines we have now are generating nothing, probably drawing from the grid to keep their oils fluid or running their own diesel generators, as the temperature drops and the costs per MWh soars for the consumer.
The only reliable thing about wind power is its unreliability.
We can only hope our elected representatives wake up to the folly of relying on the weather, which by their own admission is becoming more unpredictable for our energy requirements, before rural Scotland is needlessly engulfed in concrete and steel.
Wind Concerns is a collaboration of citizens of the Lakeland Alberta region against proposed wind turbine projects.