Western Morning News, 13th August 2008
Senior figures from wind energy firms have been working at the heart of
Government, advising ministers on the potential health impacts of turbines, the
WMN has learned.
The Government was last night accused of "doing unprecedented and highly
questionable favours" for the wind industry amid growing concern about the "clear
conflict of interest".
Staff from power firms are known to be working in the Department for Business,
Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) which is responsible for energy supplies
and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) charged with
tackling climate change.
Questions have also been raised about a move to limit the power for people living
near new wind farms to sue operators for negative health impacts caused by noise.
It comes after Gordon Brown sanctioned a massive push for renewable energy,
which will require a 1,000 per cent increase on current levels.
Tory MP Geoffrey Cox said: "It is astonishing that the Government has apparently
sub-contracted the study of this vital subject to the very industry which has most
to gain from allaying those concerns."
He said he was particularly concerned about the apparent conflict of interest
surrounding energy firms dominating a group set up to consider the health impact
of aerodynamic modulation – the swish or boom caused by turbine blades.
Meetings of the Government's independent Noise Working Group were chaired by a
top adviser from RWE Npower, who was working in BERR, and included four others
from the industry. Guidance has since been sent by the Government to planning
inspectors based on the conclusions of the group.
Meanwhile, two people from Shell and Npower are also working at Defra, earning
between £45,000 and £66,506, though officials insist neither is working on the
renewables programme.
Mr Cox, MP for Torridge and West Devon, has now written to Business Secretary
John Hutton and Environment Secretary Hilary Benn calling on them to explain why
wind industry employees are working inside Government. He said last night:
"These facts, if true, bring to light a disturbing conflict of interest in the preparation
and presentation of critical research into the health effects of noise from
aerodynamic modulation in the ever larger and more sophisticated machines for
which planning permission is being sought in the South West and around the
country.
"Is it conceivable that a study of the possible health effects of smoking would be
chaired by someone on secondment from the tobacco industry?"
When challenged by the WMN to explain the revelations, BERR said it was "not
unusual" for secondments to take place between Government and industry, or vice
versa. A spokesman said "great care" is taken to avoid "any potential for conflict of
interest" including regular parliamentary scrutiny of the programme.
The Noise Working Group (NWG) was publicised as being formed from
"independent experts on wind turbine noise" and was set up to advise ministers on
amplitude modulation. But meetings were chaired by Zoe Keeton, an employee of
RWE Npower. The group also included at least four members who have
represented wind energy interests.
Defra seconding outsiders to the department helps provide "specialist expertise
which cannot be provided by existing staff ".

© Western Morning News