Tom Wall of the Guardian reports (England’s tallest wind turbine prepares to rise against the odds) on a community group near Bristol in the west of England that has installed a 4.2 MW wind turbine to power its housing estate. Aided by longtime British wind engineer Charles Gamble, the project is finally nearly completion after years of struggling through restrictive planning requirements.
Since David Cameron, Britain’s Tory Party has nearly killed onshore wind energy in England and Wales with undue planning regulations. Prior to Cameron, wind energy was growing apace in Great Britain. In effect, the government has banned wind energy on shore except in Scotland where planning powers have devolved from the British parliament.
The project was developed by Ambition Community Energy whose staff also includes wind energy pioneer Andrew Garrad.
