The United Kingdom is about to make a major move towards into wind energy, with the British government planning the most ambitious goal for wind power in the world so far – a third of UK energy to come from wind by 2020.
The Times of London says that this week, Prime Minister Gordon Brown will launch a 100-billion pound initiative and calls it the most ambitious wind energy plan in the world.
The Prime Minister will award development contracts to build a new generation of offshore wind farms, with each site planned to be bigger than any farms currently operating.
The plan includes the construction of nine offshore wind farms on parcels put up for auction by the Crown Estate, owner of the UK's territorial seabed.
The British Wind Energy Association estimates the plan will create up to 60,000 jobs.
Industry experts do not expect construction to start until at least 2015.
Some question whether the UK should make such a large bet on an intermittent energy source such as offshore wind.
BWEA says worldwide there is less than 1 GW of installed offshore wind power – this would produce less than half the power from a similar-sized gas or coal-fired power station.
BWEA says 2008 was the first year investment in wind outstripped investment in all other types of energy infrastructure in Europe.
