Originally published on Ecotricity.
Green energy entrepreneur Dale Vince believes the Prime Minister is putting the interests of his political party ahead of the interests of his country as the Conservatives promise to block any new onshore windfarms should they win next year’s election.
A Conservative Party spokesperson said overnight: “The next Conservative government will effectively curtail further large-scale onshore wind developments (within) the first six months (of being elected).”
Ecotricity founder Dale Vince said: “Before the last election, David Cameron promised to lead the greenest government ever – that promise lies in tatters now, as he prepares to fight the next election dancing to the tune set by UKIP.
“It’s a shameful abdication of his responsibility as prime minister, to put his party before the country in this way.
“We need an energy policy that makes sense, environmentally and economically, one that can give us energy independence, lower bills and abate climate change. What we have instead is one that only makes sense politically, an energy policy for the Tory party.
“Last week’s YouGov poll shows very clearly that wind energy onshore is overwhelmingly popular, contrary to Cameron’s claims today.
“The same poll shows that we Britons would rather have a windmill in our neighbourhood than we would a fracking rig – by an overwhelming three to one.
“That’s the real ‘scourge’ yet Cameron is intent on forcing this on the country – this government have short circuited the planning process for fracking, removed any proper environmental risk assessment, taken local people out of the decision making process and provided enormous subsidies for an industry that we simply don’t need.
“Just this week they announced plans to change trespass laws to allow fracking without landowner consent. All of this stands in stark contrast to their actions regarding onshore wind, our cheapest most abundant form of renewable energy.
“If we are serious about meeting our legally binding environmental targets (and that is of course an open question) by 2030 we will be using 40% less gas in Britain and the North Sea can provide it all. We simply don’t need to take the risks of fracking, and we clearly don’t want it or need it.
“That’s where the moratorium should be. But big business interests dictate otherwise.”
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