Green Party MP Caroline Lucas has said that energy generated from onshore wind is cheaper than other forms of renewable energy. What are the figures behind the claim? Renewable, or ‘green’ energy is generated from natural resources like the sun, wind and water, so they are restored and never run out – unlike fossil fuels. The government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has published projections on costs for projects starting in 2020. These include a breakdown of how much it could cost to generate a megawatt hour (MWh) of electricity according to different energy types. Chart showing cost for producing energy broken down by different types of fuel sources. The estimates by BEIS show that it will cost £63 to generate a megawatt hour of electricity using onshore wind energy, reinforcing Caroline Lucas’s claim. It’s the cheapest renewable power source listed, in comparison with £106 for offshore wind. These figures do account for construction costs and the fact that wind and solar power are intermittent. But they don’t consider costs associated with environmental factors like air quality impact. The most recent report available was published in 2016. But, the findings were also backed up by a more recent study by renewable energy consultants BVG Associates. This study – commissioned by Scottish Power – found that onshore wind is the cheapest form of new-build electricity generation available in the UK today.
BBC 25th Oct 2018 read more »