Sources of information:
HMGovernment.
The UK Low carbon Transition Plan – National strategy for climate and energy July 2009

HMGovernment.
UK Renewable Energy Strategy July 2009

Generation Targets for 2020.
Submitted by: Centre for Sustainable Energy, Peter Capener, Wardell Armstrong International June 2005

Survey of renewable electricity and heat projects in South West England
regensw June 2009

Jargon:
Installed GW – this is the capacity of the installed renewable energy.
GW – Gigawatt. 1 Gigawatt = 1,000 Megawatts
Biomass + W + AD – Biomass, Wood & Anaerobic digestion.
AONB – Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

It will come as no surprise to most people that our county (Glos) is way off the mark, as far as hitting its 2010 targets. This also would imply that if every county were as bad at meeting targets as we are, the nation will also fail to meet its obligations… and if every country did the same, then the world will fail also. Act locally, think globally as they say.

Stroud5050 is a campaign that recognises the value of ‘glocal‘ thinking and action. Every county across the UK needs to find suitable sites for renewable energy projects, and there are a lot of considerations. Choosing a site to build on is not a simple process though… there are a number of factors that have to be thought through before even applying for planning permission is considered, including:

• Is the average wind speed sufficient?
• Is the site in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty?
• Is the site designated as being nationally or internationally important for wildlife?
• Housing density?
• Will there be an objection from civil aviation or MOD radar operator?
• Is there a risk of interference with fixed radio/phone links?
• Is there nearby connection to the national grid?
• What is access by road like – good or poor? Can we actually get turbines onto the site?

Here’s how we overlaid all these factors onto Stroud District to identify the potential sites for a new wind park (based on current data and constraints).

As you can see – there really wasn’t much in the way of choices, and it certainly isn’t an arbitrary process.

We hope these slides show how and why Berkeley Vale site was chosen. And we hope you will also understand the urgency of wind development in Gloucestershire – to deliver our county’s share of the national and global CO2 reduction targets we all are responsible for.

We are totally committed to doing our part towards achieving Gloucestershire’s renewable energy target for 2010, 2020 and beyond – we need you to do yours, too.