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Why do we need offshore windfarms?Meet energy demands, UK energy demands.Energy is an essential part of all our lives. Fuel is either directly used in transport or heating, or turned into electricity to switch on lights and power our televisions. Our increasingly energy intensive lifestyle has led energy consumption to increase at a rate of 1% a year. Most of our energy demands are met by burning coal, oil, petroleum and natural gas – so-called fossil fuels – and, more recently, from generating nuclear power. Fossil fuel supplies are finite and many predict that North Sea gas reserves, the UK’s principal fuel, will be largely depleted by 2010-2011. Nuclear power is considered a controversial energy source and it is estimated that by 2010 a third of the UK’s current nuclear power stations will be closed. We need another source of energy to meet the UK’s energy needs. Renewable energy has been heralded as the answer, as an ever present and clean technology. At present renewable energy contributes 3% of the UK’s electricity supply and government targets are driving this figure up. |
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