Wind Farms 'Useless': Prince Phillip

Prince Phillip, The Duke of Edinburgh is no fan of wind turbine power.

The husband of Queen Elizabeth II has blasted wind farms as “absolutely useless” and “a disgrace,” according to a report in The Daily Telegraph newspaper of Britain.

Phillip, who recently turned 90 years old, also criticized the industry’s dependence on subsidies from electricity customers, adding that wind farms will “never work” and branding their supporters as adhering to a “fairy tale”.

Apparently, the Duke’s comments arose during a private conversation with Esbjorn Wilmar, the managing director of Infinergy, a prominent wind farm company.

“He said they were absolutely useless, completely reliant on subsidies and an absolute disgrace,” Wilmar told media.
“I was surprised by his very frank views. He said, 'You don’t believe in fairy tales do you?’ He said that they would never work as they need back-up capacity.”

The Duke’s withering comments will no doubt provide succor to a rising group of Britons who believe that wind farms are scarring the countryside and pushing up energy costs. Residents have also complained about the noise the turbines make during period of strong winds.

However, the UK government appears committed to upgrading and expanding wind power.

The Telegraph reported that Britain currently has 3,421 turbines, with another 4,500 expected to be built.

Chris Huhne, the Energy Secretary, recently criticized opponents of wind power as “curmudgeons and fault-finders” and countered that wind turbines as “elegant” and “beautiful”.

The Duke’s son, the Prince of Wales, also recently criticized wind farm and said he would now allow any turbines built on Duchy of Cornwall land.