Wind power boost aired

Scottish power plans to nearly double the size of the largest onshore wind farm in Europe. The utility has requested planning approval to expand the number of turbines at its £300m Whitelee wind farm on the Eaglesham Moor south of Glasgow to 221. If approved the site would generate 614Mw of electricity, enough for 340,000 homes. So far the utility has installed 102 turbines of 140 that have been granted consent at the site. Its latest request for another 45 follows an initial application, still being considered, for an additional 36.
The first phase of the project will begin operations this summer and is a centrepiece of the company’s drive to have more than 1GW of wind power by the end of next year. It is thought that the Scottish authorities will approve the expansion. Planning consent is the single biggest stumbling block for onshore farms.