Wind power: a major opportunity for the UK

Worldwide wind power has grown at an average rate of almost 30% over the last decade to reach 48 GW at the end of 2004. The UK now has over 1 GW installed capacity including 124 MW offshore. Wind turbines have steadily grown in size and 5 MW prototypes have been erected. The future development of wind power in Britain is likely to depend mainly on Government policy and the prices of oil and gas. This paper describes the main technical and non-technical issues facing wind power today and looks at the prospects for further UK development of wind power.