SW Greens condemn 'abandoning off-shore wind'

South West Green Party has condemned the Tories for ‘abandoning onshore wind’ while at the same time wanting to change trespass laws so that shale gas exploration companies would be allowed to drill under people’s homes.

Greens say the announcement by the Conservatives is even more alarming given that it follows hot on the heels of the recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This concluded that clean energy will have to increase threefold by 2050 if the earth is to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, with the emphasis on wind and solar power.

Dr Molly Scott Cato, lead Green Party European candidate in the South West said:

“By abandoning onshore wind the Tories’ energy policy is spinning dangerously out of control. So much so that they want to allow fracking companies to drill under people’s homes with impunity. Their fixation on subsiding fossil fuels over renewable energy demonstrates they have either not read the IPCC report or prefer to bury their heads down a very deep shale gas well and ignore the recommendations of the world’s leading climate scientists”.

The Greens are challenging the Conservatives to abandon fossil fuel subsidies. They point to inconsistency in approaches to renewables, fossil fuels and nuclear. While shale gas has been offered ‘a favourable tax regime’, the Hinkley nuclear deal is currently under investigation by the EU for breaching state aid rules and unfairly disadvantaging competitors in renewable energy industries.

Dr Scott Cato, who is also Green Party national speaker on finance, challenges the Conservatives:

“If the Tories are willing to remove subsidies for onshore wind, which is a proven low carbon, low cost solution to the UK’s energy needs, are they also prepared to withdraw subsidies for fossil fuels?”

South West Green Party recently produced a report identifying the widespread employment opportunities offered by renewable energy in the South West and called for political support for this important regional industry.