New environment minister 'ambivalent' over wind farm plan

Deputy Steve Luce says he wants to present States' members with all the facts

Jersey's new environment minister says he is "ambivalent" about proposals for an offshore wind farm.

Deputy Steve Luce is taking over the portfolio from Deputy Jonathan Renouf who championed a wind farm project for Jersey.

The proposal is for a 1,000 megawatts wind farm off the island's south-west coast.

Mr Luce said he wanted to present States' members with all the facts.

'Sustainable energy'

He said: "There are some fundamental questions to be asked and answers to be given around energy security.

"About whether we just want to make money by leasing the sea bed, taxing the energy that's sold or whether we want to produce the sustainable energy, which would only replace energy that we are using at the moment from France, which is very sustainable anyway."

In the proposition it said the wind farm would "power our future economy and create energy for export".

Mr Luce said: "I'm ambivalent, I don't see the case for replacing one sort of sustainable energy for another.

"I can understand we need energy security, that is important, but there will be a lot of extra cost in landing that power on to the island and then exporting it again."

The consultation on the project closes on 16 February.