IT鈥橲 been a contrasting week for renewable energy advocates on opposite sides of the Atlantic. The UK announced plans to make wind power in its coastal waters 鈥渨hat the Gulf of Arabia is for the oil industry鈥�. Meanwhile, hopes for the solar equivalent in the American Southwest鈥檚 largely uninhabited desert have been derailed by a tortoise.
UK prime minister Gordon Brown wants to build 3000 turbines around the UK鈥檚 coast, part of a plan that will see renewable energy provide 30 per cent of the nation鈥檚 electricity by 2020. The US Bureau of Land Management is less bullish. It plans to defer any further applications for solar power projects while it conducts an environmental review, with the fate of the desert tortoise one cause for concern. The review is expected to take about two years.
Energy and Fuels 鈥� Learn more about the looming energy crisis in our comprehensive special report.
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