U.K. prime minister threatens end to wind power subsidies

Claiming that the British public is “fed up” with government subsidies for onshore wind power, British Prime Minister David Cameron is pushing to end those subsidies and force wind power developers to compete in the open market with other sources of energy, such as natural gas produced by hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.” In a recent speech before the U.K. Parliament, Cameron said, “let’s get rid of the subsidy [and] put [onshore wind projects] into the planning system. If they can make their case, they will make their case. I suspect they won’t, and we’ll have a reasonable amount of onshore wind, we’ll have safer electricity supplies as a result—but enough is enough, and I’m very clear about that.” Cameron added that, in his view, the case for wind power against fracking would be resolved in favor of fracking, and that the oil and gas industry would be viewed in a different light once the first wells are developed next year. “I think there are some myths we need to get over—the myth that fracking would be a disaster for the environment, the myth that [genetic modification] technology means we are all going to be eating fish-flavored tomatoes, the myth that nuclear power is inherently unstable and we shouldn’t pursue it,” he declared.