THE report headlined “A waste of energy” regarding protests against wind turbines speaks of abject surrender to councils and developers. May I proffer a few facts?

Wind farms produce less than one fifth of power. On-shore research by Ofgen records 20 sites in Britain producing less than 20 per cent maximum output. One site generates just 7.9 per cent and another 8.7 per cent. The best result was about 50 per cent. Overall, the average energy countrywide amounted to less than 30 per cent.

Developers are anxious to plant wind farms wherever they can and exaggerate the potential of wind-harnessed energy. They would, wouldn’t they.

The crux of the matter underscores encouraging land owners to take advantage of wind farms on their property. The carrot is haulsome annual remuneration.

Like it or not, we are being coerced to put up with an anomaly best described as blatant desecration of Britain’s beautiful countryside. Councils are largely responsible. The buck rests with them.

Anyone comparing wind turbines to old-time wind engines (not windmills) an invention to grind water, not corn, have lost the point. Wind engines were well less than a quarter of the height of towering turbines and far less obtrusive.

What will happen when turbines wear out? Who will be responsible for disposing them?

Modern low-profile state-of-the-art nuclear and fossil-fuelled generating stations achieve direct, powerful and reliable output using the latest safety precautions and carbon screening techniques.

They far outweigh wind farms driven by not so much the wind as the urge to harvest windfall in terms of cash in the doubtful name of carbon footprint, another exaggeration enmeshed in profit.

Councils should be alert to this.

TREVOR BEVIS

St Peter’s Road

March