Guernsey politicians propose 36-mile-long wind farm off the island's coast

ITV Channel's Serena Sandhu reports...

A new wind farm could be built off the coast of Guernsey, providing 15 times the amount of energy needed to power the Channel Island.

Island politicians put forward the plans to construct 90 offshore turbines, saying it could be a long-term source of electricity and also lower the cost of living by selling power that isn't needed in Guernsey back to the grid.

The plans were put forward in a new report, which suggests a 1,500-megawatt wind farm could attract up to £5 billion of inward investment while also producing a similar amount of electricity as two nuclear reactors.

If built, the wind farm could offset the need for tax increases in Guernsey as well as reduce fuel poverty.

The report claims that the wind farm would make the island a green electricity exporter, also helping to reduce the UK and France's carbon footprints.

Guernsey's south or west coasts have been suggested as possible sites for the wind farm.

Deputy Carl Meerveld is one of the politicians behind the plans:

"Guernsey’s winds have been described as a ‘9 out of 10’ in terms of their ability to generate wind turbine power and our South and West coasts are both good locations to site a wind farm without being overly visually obtrusive at distances of six to twelve miles.

"Such a wind farm could generate clean low-cost electricity for both the island and for export and generate tens of millions of pounds in annual income for the 60-year standard lease period."

The politicians hope that the findings of the report, and the subsequent proposals, will be considered by Guernsey's Environment and Infrastructure Committee.