The Strawman Project























Gordon Brown announced a massive expansion in wind power today as part of an overall drive to switch the UK over to renewable generation.

Claiming that it would not be "business as usual" and pointing out that "The North Sea has now passed its peak of oil and gas supply", the PM called for a "National Debate" on reaching a target of 15% of UK electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

Brown said "Increasing our renewable energy sources in these ways, on this scale, will require a national purpose and a shared national endeavour".

So let's take a closer look at exactly what this "shared national endeavour" involves...

In Wales, our contribution to this grand plan was unveiled back in February by "Methane Jane" Davidson, our Minister for Sustainability. This "Renewable Energy Routemap underlines the Assembly's commitment to meeting it's target of 4 Twh of renewable energy generation by 2010, and 7Twh by 2020.

Wind forms a key part of this commitment, and the Assembly's wind energy policy is enshrined in the controversial TAN 8 document, which allocates the siting of large-scale wind farm development in Strategic Search Areas (SSAs). In Mid-Wales there are 3 such areas, known as Carno North (B), Newtown South (C), and Nant y Moch (D).

Together these areas account for up to 500 Megawatts of new generation. But there is a problem, and that problem is the grid. Developers are hungrily eyeing up the area, but without the ability to export this massive amount of electricity into the grid, it's just not worth the risk.

Not to worry though, because National Grid have the answer, and Jane Davidson, in her capacity as National Grid's mouthpiece, spells it out in her Routemap. A "new 400kv grid link into England."

Substitute "Powerline" for "Pipeline", and you'll see where this is going...

A National Grid document, accessible here, outlines exactly what this "link" means. A 55km overhead line from their Legacy substation - just outside Wrecsam - to the Cambrian Mountains.

The map above outlines a possible route (in green), given the concentration of proposed farms here.

National Grid made "Connection Offers" to developers using what they call the "Strawman Co-ordinated application Window" on October 31st, 2007. By pure coincidence, this is a mere 6 days after Rhodri Morgan announced "a new era" for wind farms - built on Forestry Commission Land.

Now I'm all for wind, but given that Wales is already a net exporter of electricity, where is the need for this kind of project? As far as I know, 13 separate projects so far have been signed up for connection to this line. But given that this line is designed to facilitate a massive expansion of wind in this region, you can guarantee it won't stop there.

A landscape that already bears the scars of an earlier period of exploitation - for our water - has now been earmarked for exploitation of another key Welsh resource - our wind.

Is this what our Assembly was set up for?