LETTER AS SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO LETTER FROM E W POINTING IN THE BANGOR & ANGLESEY MAIL, 2004-12-22

Dear Editor,

In his letter of the 22nd of December, E. W. Pointing raises the old chestnut that wind energy is unreliable because the wind does not blow all the time. But a conventional power station only generates electricity for about 50% of the time. And the demand for electricity varies from minute to minute. We need a mix of different systems to provide the electricity we need.

Although the wind does not blow all the time, wind power could provide 100% of the electricity we use. How is this possible? When there is more wind power than we need, the surplus electricity is used to generate hydrogen (by passing the electricity through water) and the hydrogen is stored. When the wind drops, the stored hydrogen is used as fuel for an engine which drives an electrical generator. This technology has been developed by a company based on Anglesey! (See www.anglesey-wind.co.uk/). Britain has huge quantities of wind energy, far more than we need, and hydrogen can iron out the peaks and troughs.

Mr Pointing suggests that we need nuclear power. This is nonsense. Nuclear power is very expensive and it creates radioactive waste, some of which remains dangerous for thousands of years. No one has yet found a safe way to dispose of this growing body of nuclear waste. Nuclear power stations and nuclear reprocessing plants like Sellafield are inviting targets for terrorists. And nuclear power stations, like other kinds of power station, do not produce electricity all the time.

Wind power is safe, it is cheaper than nuclear power, it is not a target for terrorists, and it does not create a legacy of dangerous waste for our children, grandchildren and beyond. And North Wales is very well placed to take advantage of new jobs in the generation of electricity from wind.

Gerry Wolff

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