Sir,

Oh dear - here we go again. Some opponents of wind turbines seem to have lost the plot. Or perhaps they see too many plots. PSEEG's visit to Castle Pill wind farm was arranged in July and was thrown open to the public in the columns of the Tenby Observer of September 11. There was obviously no way Infinergy or anyone else could have predicted the weather. It was a fine day with a gentle breeze. The turbine blades were spinning. How was this ironic and how a propaganda coup? Innuendo does not contribute to reasoned debate. The observation that Infinergy could have switched the turbines into reverse to mislead their visitors is not worthy of reply.

Even in these days of deliberate misinformation could anyone really believe that the comment in your letters section of October 9 was a fair reflection on our visit? When the party left their coach some 300 - 400 yards from the nearest turbine, no noise could be heard of either high or low frequency. The blades certainly seemed to be spinning under their own power. How clever that Mr. Duffield, wherever he was, knew precisely what we were experiencing at Castle Pill.

Has he ever visited the Castle Pill site? (If not he could have joined us). If he has visited the site, has he taken any noise readings, ludicrous or otherwise? And has he spoken to any residents who live in the close vicinity of the wind farm?

Members of PSEEG have.

It hardly needs stating that if the wind doesn't blow, electricity will not be generated. However, 40 per cent of Europe's potential wind energy is to be found in the UK, most of it in the West. No-one suggests that wind power should be the only form of electricity generation; a mix of provision is desirable. Also a report by the Oxford University Environmental Change Unit states that the development of wind power supplying 10 per cent of UK electricity would enable around 3GW of conventional plant to be closed. CO2 emissions would be significantly reduced.

Only last week, the industry regulator Ofgen reported that by 2016 there was real possibility of a shortage in generator capacity as older power stations were decommissioned. Nuclear power cannot fill the gap before 2020. The choice is simple; either more power stations burning fossil fuels (often imported from politically unstable areas) and exacerbating the problem of global warming or more renewables. Of the latter, the only proven technology is wind.

On its own, wind power will not solve the problem of global warming and climate change. Much more needs to be done. Nonetheless, every little helps.

Vian Roberts,

Chair,

PSEEG.