Safely, greenly nuclear - Opinion - theage.com.au

As part of the five-year planning process, ScottishPower has worked with BAA, which operates Glasgow airport, and National Air Traffic Services to prevent the windfarm producing a fizzy image on the radar screens that monitor aircraft taking off and landing at Glasgow. The solution will be to build a new radar tower at a former ScottishPower power station at Kincardine in Fife.
ScottishPower, the largest operator of onshore windfarms in the UK, has also agreed to move the Met Office's weather radar, which provides weather detection services across Scotland's central belt, from Whitelee to two new locations. The windfarm will include a visitors centre, walking and cycling facilities.
Allan Wilson, deputy enterprise minister with the Scottish Executive, said the new facility marked a milestone towards Scotland meeting its renewable energy and climate change targets. The executive has pledged to generate 18% of national electricity from renewable sources by 2010 and 40% by 2020.
Mr Wilson said the windfarm would save about 650,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year while supplying more than 2% of Scotland's energy needs.
The chief executive of ScottishPower, Philip Bowman, said Whitelee underlined the importance of government consistency in operating the policy on renewable obligations. If investor confidence was undermined Britain's renewable energy target would be threatened, he said.
Two larger Scottish windfarm projects are in the pipeline - at sites in South Lanarkshire and on the Isle of Lewis. The Lewis project has drawn thousands of objections from campaigners who say the 234-turbine farm would disrupt wildlife and damage fragile peatland.
The British Wind Energy Association remains confident that onshore windfarms can make a significant contribution to the government's target to generate 10% of the UK's electricity from renewable sources by 2010. Marcus Rand, its chief executive, said: "Wind represents our best chance of delivering significant quantities of carbon free power by 2015."
There are 125 windfarms in the UK, including four offshore, generating just over 1% of the UK's electricity.Special reportRenewable energyThe issue explained14.12.2001: Renewable energyInteractive guideOffshore wind farmsUseful linksFriends of the EarthGreenpeaceBritish Wind Energy Association