The Conservatives have defended their decision to get rid of subsidies for onshore wind, dismissing energy experts who labelled them as “idiots” as “completely wrong”.
The Conservatives have defended their decision to get rid of subsidies for onshore wind, dismissing energy experts who labelled them as “idiots” as “completely wrong”.
The Conservatives have defended their decision to get rid of subsidies for onshore wind, dismissing energy experts who labelled them as “idiots” as “completely wrong”.
MP Matthew Hancock (pictured) appeared on the Daily Politics show today to debate environment, energy and climate change and said onshore wind is not the cheapest renewable option, as many have claimed since the Conservative manifesto was released last week.
“Those who say we are idiots are completely wrong actually,” he said. “The latest round of CfDs proved onshore is not the cheapest technology, solar is.”
Labour’s Caroline Flint then posed the question that the cheapest solar projects had in fact pulled out of the CfD scheme because they cannot deliver at the cost …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]The Conservatives have defended their decision to get rid of subsidies for onshore wind, dismissing energy experts who labelled them as “idiots” as “completely wrong”.
MP Matthew Hancock (pictured) appeared on the Daily Politics show today to debate environment, energy and climate change and said onshore wind is not the cheapest renewable option, as many have claimed since the Conservative manifesto was released last week.
“Those who say we are idiots are completely wrong actually,” he said. “The latest round of CfDs proved onshore is not the cheapest technology, solar is.”
Labour’s Caroline Flint then posed the question that the cheapest solar projects had in fact pulled out of the CfD scheme because they cannot deliver at the cost they first posed.
Hancock replied: “Even the projects that have not withdrawn this time are cheaper. That is our view.
“We have to tackle carbon emissions in a way that does not cost the Earth and we cannot destroy the natural environment.
“We cannot spoil the UK’s beautiful, green and pleasant land. Putting wind turbines up is not acceptable to local communities. We will support other renewable technologies but not this.”
Liberal Democrat Energy Secretary Ed Davey said: “I cannot work it out in my mind. Onshore wind is successful and cheap. It just does not make sense from the Conservatives.”