Introduction

The countries participating in the Kyoto Summit in 1997 agreed to make significant reductions in their emissions of greenhouse gases. The UK agreed to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by the year 2010 to 20% less than the 1990 levels. In order to reach this ambitious target, the UK government has focused on the development of renewable energy sources and, in particular, wind power. Two important pieces of legislation have already been passed: the renewables legislation in April 2002, which established the Renewables Obligation; and the recent Energy Act 2004, which will ...