In last week’s Courier (September 1, pages 2-3), an advertising feature said that the MUA chair, Mr Tim Crookall MHK, appears to be going ahead with another very expensive scheme, which has not even been verified as being viable.

The article also includes the construction and installation the Pulrose, gas-powered, electricity generators, which appeared to have little to no responsible management, where the overall cost was an absolute financial disaster, which would appear to have been without proper control.

The Pulrose scheme, appeared to have wasted, somewhere in the region of £300million more than was necessary, to pay for that scheme.

Mr Crookall’s wind turbine idea, would appear to be of a similar nature, but thankfully, on a smaller scale, although environmental damage would appear to be high on the list.

Even if the various tests, which are required to see if the scheme would be practical, and produce the proposed requirements, what, and where, would the back-up scheme need to be built?

The back-up scheme would be necessary, for when the wind turbines are not, or are hardly moving.

Has anyone considered any changing effects regarding the global warming situation, either now, or predicted for the future weather?

What would happen should the temperature increases, and the wind strength is not there for far longer periods of time than the current situation?

The Ronaldsway weather station, has wind records dating from now, to decades ago, but again, can these be relied upon, with the obvious climate being so unpredictable, and frequently changing?

With the financial climate being as it is, and the government appearing to be dipping into the island’s reserves, to balance the books, is the island in a position to be gambling with the public purse, and are the island’s residents prepared to pay, even more for electricity?

For the government to be able to say they are doing their bit to reduce the world’s global warming, while the rest of the world are still producing excessive amounts of carbon dioxide, by way of huge uncontrolled fires, or by countries simply ignoring the situation, such as China, India, and America, who are the main polluters, and responsible for over a third of the world’s carbon dioxide produced.

In contrast, it has been stated, by the media, that Britain is responsible for approximately 1% of the world’s total output of carbon dioxide, and in reality, it would not be unrealistic to assume, that the Isle of Man’s carbon output is in the region of being 1,000th of the UK output.

Basically, the financial outlay for the difference, which the carbon output the Isle of Man produces, would appear to make the proposed wind power scheme totally unrealistic whilst creating another financial burden on the island’s general public.

It may be more reasonable to consider being connected into one of the, off shore wind farms, or consider the power line, which the island already has with Bispham, and for Mr Crookall to consider his efforts into the Peel power station, which I believe the diesel generators, are close to requiring replacement.

Common sense would be to assist the proposed off shore gas field to come to fruition, and for the future years, replace Peel’s diesel turbines, with alternative, reduced-carbon gas turbines, which, if required, could be larger and be able to provide additional electricity supplies to other areas in need, leaving the public to continue struggling with the already overpriced, island’s power supplies, partially caused from previous incompetence.

Michael Leather

Springfield Court

Onchan

This letter was first published in the Manx Independent of September 7..

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