Wind farm puts region top of the league

Scout Moor Wind Farm

Scout Moor Wind Farm, the largest onshore wind farm in the country, is helping to put the North West at the forefront of the UK’s shift to low carbon.

The North West has 140 sites generating renewable electricity, more than any other English region, with Scout Moor Wind Farm alone preventing the release of 160,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.

Energy Minister Lord Hunt said today: “The plans we are setting out today include how we are going to reach our target for 15% renewable energy by 2020 and if these resources are harnessed the North West could continue to be the top region for renewable energy sites. The North West is also home to four of the potential sites for new nuclear power stations.

"Moving from high carbon fuels to low carbon green energy is an opportunity for us all."

His comments came as the Government published the UK Low Carbon Transition Plan setting out how the UK will become the first major economy to convert to low carbon living, and the first to reap the benefits.

Regional Minister for the North West Phil Woolas said: "The North West of England was the world's first industrial area - that revolution was based on carbon fuels. The new green technology revolution must also start here.

“It is a big challenge and one that all of us in the North West need to respond to - from making small changes to how we live to embracing the opportunities that it offers us."