Needed - but not wanted

Paul Barltrop The Politics Show BBC West

Experts are warning that Britain will fail to meet its target for generating electricity from clean, renewable sources. By 2020 almost a third of our supplies will need to come from wind power.

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The West is home to some of the biggest players in this growing industry - but very few of their turbines.

Britain's wind energy sector is booming. We have more offshore turbines than any other European country.

But that has only pushed up the amount of our electricity coming from renewable sources to 5%.

We need seven times as much within the next 12 years.

Barrage - too late?

No country in the world, no region of any country in the world has done anything like this ever before Dale Vince

Although ambitious plans for a Severn Barrage are unlikely to help, the idea is undergoing several detailed feasibility studies - which will take years.

Even if these go well, construction would be huge and lengthy - so it would not help us meet the targets set for 2020.

That will fall mainly to wind - and it is a daunting challenge.

"It's a mountain to climb by anybody's standards," says Dale Vince who runs wind energy firm Ecotricity.

"No country in the world, no region of any country in the world has done anything like this ever before."

Turbines built without protest

The wind turbines at Avonmouth have an elegant grace...

All agree: the West has huge potential for renewable energy.

The EU's Energy Commissioner has been to see the region's only major wind scheme to be built without protests.

Three turbines tower above the docks at Avonmouth, providing three-quarters of the port's electricity.

"Believe me, you have much more wind," says Andris Piebalgs as the prevailing south west wind ruffles his hair. "These turbines have worked for 96% of the time, could you believe it?"

There are plans for several more. "It's been great, on a brownfield site in a windy location, why wouldn't you?" says Patrick Kearon of Bristol Port Company.

Building on beauty spots

You still get mixed views, some think it's ugly, but many have said it's lovely Tom Killen

But most places suggested for wind schemes around the West are not grubby industrial land.

Many are beautiful areas on high ground - such as the Mendip Hills, which are now home to Somerset's first and only turbine.

"It was a huge issue," says Councillor Tom Killen.

In the face of concerted local opposition his council threw out the plans - they were only passed after a lengthy appeal.

In June 2008, the blades started turning, and opinion may have mellowed, says Cllr Killen.

"You still get mixed views, some think it's ugly, but many have said it's lovely, some have even said it's awesome."

Backyard blues

The West's wind firms are booming - but not in their own backyard.

Two scenes of today's countryside

The electricity from the Mendip turbine is sold to consumers from a call centre in Stroud run by Ecotricity. Its workforce has grown from 5 people in the 1990's to more than 170 people today.

For founder Dale Vince, the biggest single frustration is the planning system.

"Two thirds of all applications for wind in the UK are turned down by district councils - two thirds of all appeals are upheld by government," he says.

"The real problem that onshore wind has is that it's the only generating technology in the hands of district councils."

Planning changes

The cycle of planning applications and protests looks unlikely to change.

A government bill is streamlining the process - but only for big infrastructure projects, such as wind schemes of more than 25 turbines.

The experts agree: we have the wind, we have got the technology.

But unless something changes the government's big plans could be blown away.

Join Jon Sopel and David Garmston for the Politics Show West this Sunday at 1200 GMT on BBC One (or watch again on the BBC iPlayer).

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