UK ‘taking risks’ with wind power: technology mix essential, says Centrica boss

Britain is “at real risk” if it focuses too much on wind power rather than a mix of technologies, the boss of the company that owns British Gas has warned.

In a criticism of Labour’s energy plans, Centrica chief executive Chris O’Shea pointed to figures showing UK wind farms are inefficient.

The UK has around 30GW of installed wind generating capacity which generated 4.41GW of electricity on average in the last week.

This means that less than 15 percent was used.

Last year, wind power generated 9.43 GW, of which about 30 percent was utilized, the energy chief said.

O’Shea wrote on LinkedIn: ‘While wind power is great, we run a real risk if we focus too much on new wind power as we seek to decarbonise the energy system of the future.

“A net-zero future requires a variety of technologies and a good balance.”

Its publication comes at a time when the Labour government wants a carbon-free electricity system by the end of this decade.

That will require billions of pounds of new investment in renewables. Labour’s plans include a state-owned energy group, Great British Energy.

This will invest £8.3bn of taxpayers’ money into wind and solar projects, as well as other green technologies, using windfall taxes on oil and gas giants.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hopes the move will boost the amount of renewable electricity generated in the UK and cut energy bills.

Last week it was revealed that the Government will use British seabed, owned by the Crown Estate, to help build wind farms.

But the Conservatives said GB Energy was “nothing more than a gimmick that will end up costing families money”.

O’Shea has also questioned the role of subsidies.

“And we should ask ourselves why subsidies for wind farms are needed in the form of a guaranteed price for the electricity produced?” he wrote in his LinkedIn post.

“It has served us well in the past and it may serve us well in the future, but we should at least ask the question.”