10 December 2007
The UK could have two times as many wind farms as any other country, should plans set to be announced by ministers today be implemented.
Under the proposals, an additional 25 gigawatts (GW) of wind energy - equivalent to 7,000 extra turbines - would be generated through additional offshore wind power facilities.
The UK currently generates 2GW per year through wind power, with another 8GW to be generated in the future from projects currently under construction.
The plans are to be unveiled by Business Secretary John Hutton at a conference in Berlin later today.
Talking to the BBC last week, Mr Hutton said: "The challenge for government and for industry is to turn this potential - for our energy and economy - into a cost-effective reality. This will be a major challenge."
"If we could manage to achieve this [wind farm plan], by 2020 enough electricity could be generated off our shores to power the equivalent of all of the UK's homes."
Britain is already committed to cutting its carbon emissions by 20% before 2020, under an EU agreement signed earlier this year.
The recently announced Climate Change Bill also proposes a 60% carbon cut by 2050, as the government aims to tackle climate change.