Is wind power economical?
The Sustainable Development Commission has estimated the generation costs of onshore wind power to be around 3.2p/kWh, with offshore at around 5.5p/kWh. This compares well with wholesale prices for electricity although recently wholesale prices have risen significantly because oil and gas prices have risen. The costs of wind power have fallen significantly over the last twenty years while the cost of finite fuels like gas and oil have risen. Recent increases in commodities prices and tightness in the markets for the supply of equipment have resulted in some increases in capital costs, however this has no direct effect on the power prices paid for wind energy. The costs of nuclear generation are very difficult to assess as the construction has often been prone to time and cost overruns and the costs of decommissioning nuclear plant are colossal and represent a huge indirect subsidy as the risks are effectively underwritten by tax payers. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority estimated t
