The body that monitors UK airspace is seeking a solution to the potentially disastrous problem of commercial and military aircraft disappearing in radar blackout zones caused by wind farms. National Air Traffic Services (Nats) has asked Raytheon, the American defence company, to design the world's first system for allowing radar to see through wind farm interference. The cost of the £5 million project is expected to be picked up by the wind energy industry.

Aberdeen's proposed offshore windfarm is likely to be scaled down in terms of numbers of turbines, but still capable of becoming a demonstrator centre, participants at the renewable energy conference and exhibition, All-Energy in Aberdeen, Scotland, was told this week.

Scottish & Southern Energy chief executive Ian Marchant has predicted that the retail price of electricity will remain flat - or even fall - over the next 18 months because of overcapacity in the recession-hit power generation industry. The Perth-based utility yesterday posted a 2 per cent rise in adjusted pre-tax profits to £1.25 billion for the year to 31 March and said it is aiming to deliver a "moderate" increase in profits in the current year.

MP Peter Atkinson has given his support to a Green Energy Bill, despite concerns about large-scale wind farms. The Hexham member, who represents parts of the former Castle Morpeth Borough, said giant turbines offer little return for local communities. However, in a House of Commons debate on Friday, he backed the idea of small-scale energy schemes.

Europe's largest onshore wind farm, which is already powerful enough to meet Glasgow's electricity needs, is to expand by more than a third as part of a major green energy initiative by Scottish ministers. The first minister Alex Salmond announced that the 322mw Whitelee wind farm south of Glasgow had been given permission to increase its capacity to 452mw, as he officially switched on the wind farm this morning.

Villagers are joining forces to fight two plans for wind turbines on the outskirts of Hamsterley Forest. People living in Woodland and Hamsterley will be invited to join the Woodland Area Action Group to oppose plans by renewable energy specialist Banks, of Tow Law, to create a 20m-high nine-turbine wind farm at Windy Bank on farmland.

West Cumbrian people whose homes look out on to the Solway Firth have reacted with fury to news that yet more wind turbines are planned there. Their response follows news that Energy company E.on wants to build between 70 and 100 turbines off the West Cumbrian coast. The wind farm would cover an area almost twice the size of its Robin Rigg site and would generate enough energy to power 195,000 homes.

The world's largest offshore wind farm is set to be built in the Thames Estuary. The first phase of the London Array project will start later this year and German power giant E.ON said it could be generating power in time for the 2012 Olympics. The wind farm will be built 12 miles off the UK coast and will involve 341 turbines.

A public inquiry into three wind farm proposals in Northumberland should be a "wake-up call" to prove that not all projects are acceptable, its opening salvoes heard yesterday. The hearing at Berwick is considering three bids from developers hoping to put a combined 20 turbines on sites near the town. And Northumberland County Council, which is leading the opposition, landed the first blow of the inquiry in its opening submission.

The Scottish Government has been accused of acting illegally in its dealings over a highly controversial wind farm. Local councils in the Borders believe rules have been broken because government officials have been in discussion with the Ministry of Defence about the wind farm "in secret". The Ministry of Defence opposed plans for the 48-turbine Fallago Rig wind farm in the Lammermuir Hills during a public inquiry to decide whether the application should be approved. It was worried the turbines could interfere with radar signals.

RWE npower has admitted it made an "unfortunate mistake" in not checking that the owners of a wind farm in Cumbria knew about its hopes to replace it with a nuclear power station, before proposing the move to the government. The Haverigg wind farm in the west of the county is one of Britain's oldest wind farms ...The owners of the wind farm told New Energy Focus last week that they had not heard about npower's nuclear plans for the site before the government announced it as part of the confirmed nuclear nominations list.

He is incensed by the suggestion from Vestas boss Ditlev Engel that wind opponents are being selfish and unreasonable. "I think that the charges of nimbyism are unfair. People see other people making large amounts of money from having wind farms on their land while the neighbours have to put up with the consequences without compensation." Buxton believes the government should introduce a national policy about where wind farms are placed and not leave all the decisions to private entrepreneurs and the local planning system.

Proposals to route massive wind turbines down the A161 from Goole through Swinefleet and Eastoft towards Keadby and Crowle were thrown into doubt this week. The move follows North Lincolnshire Council (NLC) rejecting the plans put forward by RES Ltd on Monday night - whilst part of the route is in the East Riding of Yorkshire, the planning approval relates to across the county border.

The German power group has drawn up proposals for a new nuclear power plant at Kirkstanton in Cumbria, one of the 11 potential sites for new nuclear reactors selected by the government earlier this month. However, if given the go-ahead, a new nuclear plant at Kirkstanton could lead to the dismantling of the neighbouring Haverigg wind farm.

Hundreds of workers at one of the south's flagship companies have today been told they will lose their jobs. Workers at Vestas, which has plants in Southampton and the Isle of Wight were this morning called into hear the shock news that the company is closing down its operations in the UK.

The economic crisis has slowed the market for wind turbines and has resulted in Vestas expecting to cut jobs. According to Vestas CEO Ditlev Engel in an initial Q1 report, the company is expected to lay off some 1,900 employees, primarily in Denmark and the United Kingdom.

Six of Haverigg's eight turbines actually fall within the proposed footprint of the Kirksanton nuclear power station, where RWE wants to build up to three reactors. ..."The wind farm currently produces 3.5 megawatts of energy while a nuclear power station would produce 3,600 megawatts, enough to power five million homes. So, from a climate change point of view, if the wind farm had to go it would not be such a bad thing."

Details are emerging of plans to put 30 giant two-megawatt turbines on land between Stanhoe, South Creake, North Creake and Syderstone - close to the proposed five-turbine Chiplow development by E-ON UK that has been fiercely opposed by local residents. ...Reg Thompson, from the Against Turbines At Chiplow group, told the Lynn News: "This windfarm proposal will create a lethal hazard three miles wide and over a mile deep for the low-flying geese. It is simply outrageous."

Protesters fighting plans for a new power line that would cut through some of the most beautiful parts of Scotland have threatened to take the government to court if the proposals are approved. Dennis Canavan, president of Ramblers Scotland, believes they could have a case for a legal challenge against the Beauly to Denny transmission line.

Speaking after the conclusion of the public inquiry at Colintraive village hall on Thursday, Mungo Tulloch, director of Argyll Windfarms Ltd, said the company was keen to begin talks with the island's community council. "It has always been the intention of Argyll Windfarms to share the financial benefits of the wind farm with the local community if planning permission is granted," Mr Tulloch said.