Wind farms really could help power Britain and would help set an example to the world.

Wind power has had many detractors in the past and and the RSPB used to be at the foresfront of those complaining - so when the organisation published its latest report on wind last week, a minor shockwave went through both the industry and the objectors.

That authoritative and meticulously researched document, spelt out three things very clearly: wind farms are an efficient way to produce energy; they do so with very little impact on wildlife and, finally, we should have more of them and as soon as possible.

It masterfully wove together the environmental, conservationist and socio-economic strands of the argument for wind energy, concluding that careful planning could avoid most of the risks to wildlife or landscapes, while retaining the benefits. Those findings are also supported by a poll by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) published in June last year showed that only 7% of people in the UK are opposed to further deployment of wind energy.

Times Archive, 1909: Power from the wind

The supply of current by wind-power must be effected with a minimum of attention if the cost is to be kept below that of a gas engine

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But it seems that as soon as one argument against wind is out of the way, another is thrown at our sector. Wind can’t provide meaningful amounts of electricity? Yes it can: our European neighbours have been consistently getting significant contributions from wind to their electricity supplies. Wind will drive prices of electricity upwards? No it will not: what we are actually seeing in countries with large wind portfolios is that wind energy drives down spot prices. And so on.

Lately, however, an old argument against the wind sector has been reheated, which perhaps says more about the often cynical media debate and the lack of will to face change, than it says about the ability of our sector to deliver.

Essentially, the argument contends that although wind power may indeed deliver cuts in greenhouse gas emisisions, these are trivial compared with the growth of fossil-fuel powered generation elsewhere. China and India are building more power stations, average household energy consumption is rising, and there is little room to replace gas for heating homes with renewable energy. Therefore, wind will not help drive down annual carbon emissions worldwide - or so the argument goes.

Now, we need to patiently unbundle issues here. Wind can deliver electricity, and it can deliver economic benefits such as jobs and investment. In the next 2 to 3 years alone, we are expecting £20 billion to be invested in UK wind projects on the strength of projects already approved or in the pipeline. Wind is a safe and proven source of energy. In a country such as Spain it has delivered up to 40% of electricity consumption and in Denmark it has delivered consistently around a quarter annually.

But, by leading on this issue we are also doing something over and above securing our own energy future: we are leading by example. We are showing that a switch to a low carbon economy can be managed in an orderly way. There are countries which are often held up as an example, and the United Kingdom with its rich history of democracy and public engagement is such a country. We have an opportunity to influence public debate far beyond our own shores, and should seize it with both hands.

What we should not do is allow the debate on renewables to be smothered by irrational negativity and cynicism. Yes, we need to work on energy efficiency – but the Government can not go around people’s homes switching lights off. Wind energy is part of the solution, but the whole solution will undoubtedly involve the renewables sector, the Government and the people of this country pulling together in the same direction towards a common goal. It will also involve other countries, but we need to start somewhere. Where better than right here and right now?

Maria McCaffery is the Chief Executive of the British Wind Energy Association

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