Letter to the Editor: The folly of generating electricity from the wind was highlighted at 3.15pm on Saturday, 14 January, when very windy weather over the country was generating over 50 per cent of UK electricity demand.

To be sure, of a UK total demand of 31.112GW, wind provided 51 per cent and CCGT (gas) was generating only 7 per cent, with the balance from other sources.

Misguided supporters would no doubt trumpet that if the number of wind generators were doubled, then the UK could crown itself as the king of green electrical energy generation. But as every school boy knows the wind does not always blow and such a strategy would make the UK a basket case in power generation.

Regardless of additional wind farms, there is the vital necessity for adequate and reliable backup generation for existing onshore and offshore wind farms — or the lights will be truly going out.

We do not need wind generation but more reliable and relatively cheap power stations such as the CCGT variety.

Why is there little talk of  Space Solar Power (SSP) and orbital power stations – could it be the power companies are laughing all the way to the bank with current pricing (no pun intended), so why would they rock the ‘golden  boat’?

Dave Haskell,

Cardigan