Turbine or not turbine

clipped from www.worldofrenewables.com Last-week’s decision to give the go-ahead to the London Array offshore wind farm was a welcome boost to a renewables industry that has been hit hard by the economic downturn Scheduled for completion in 2012, and costing around £2bn to build, the 1GW wind farm - the largest of its kind in the world - is expected to generate enough energy to power around 750,000 homes. Little surprise then that the government has been trumpeting the scheme as the embodiment - and tip of the iceberg - of its vaulting renewables ambitions. If only this were accurate. In truth, this characterisation of the project is a little wide of the mark, and while it may be full steam ahead for the London Array the future for other wind schemes looks less certain. The London Array was saved at the last minute because UAE energy firm Masdar stepped in when Shell pulled out. And, from Shell’s scaling back on wind and solar power to the recent job cuts in BP’s solar business