About 43% of Britain’s homes were powered by wind last Sunday. Figures for the National Grid figures showed that an average of 7.315GW of power was produced by windfarms, setting a new record for the UK. The previous record was 7.234GW.
According to research by Accent, for the Energy Institute, and New Power Magazine, last month, 61% of people would accept the presence of a wind turbine, or several turbines, within five miles of their home.
But only 24% of people would welcome a gas extraction site with possible fracking operations nearby, and only 18% support local nuclear power generation. The only energy technology with more popular support than wind was photovoltaics (solar) panels.
A Canadian study said wind turbines had no effect on property values of nearby homes.
The research by the University of Guelph, in Ontario, published in the Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics, found “no statistically significant effect” on the price of housing. The researchers had expected to find a negative correlation.
