Windy adventure for King's Hedges Councillor and MP

Cambridge MP David Howarth and local City Councillor Neale Upstone have been flying high in a wind turbine.

David and Neale climbed the 65m high Ecotech wind turbine in Swaffham this weekend. As part of the parliamentary committee scrutinising the draft Climate Change Bill David has been looking into renewable energy in the UK.

David commented:

“What surprised me the most was how quiet the turbine was. From just 200 yards away the blades could no longer be heard and closer in much of the noise was masked by the rustling of leaves on neighbouring trees.

“I was also impressed by the amount of electricity produced by the turbine. The two turbines at Swaffham produce enough energy over the year to power the entire town.

“There is great potential for renewable energy in the UK but we need to make sure that we capitalise on it. I recently met with representatives from a major energy company who pointed out that the demand for renewable energy in the UK is starting to exceed the installed capacity. However instead of building more turbines like this one, or working on other forms of renewable energy, the company's proposal was simply to increase the price!

“There is something clearly wrong with the energy market when demand management is needed for renewable energy. This is where we need leadership from the Government to support the development and expansion of renewable energy.“

Councillor Upstone added:

“Being so close to the turbine I realised how something clean can also be a thing of magnificence and elegance.

“The visit was a real eye-opener. There should be more centres like this Eco-Centre which wind turbines that are accessible to the public because its important that people realise just how effective wind power can be.”