U.K. Wind Gets Less Aid Than Coal, Gas for Regulating Supply
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Payments to stop U.K. wind farms overloading the grid accounted for 4 percent of the sum handed to all power suppliers while traditional generators such as coal-fired plants got most of the money.
Wind farms received 7.6 million pounds ($12.2 million) of the 170 million-pound cost including payments to generators to balance the country’s demand and supply in financial year 2012 to 2013, National Grid Plc data show. The money compensates generators including SSE Plc and Electricite de France SA for shutting down wind output in strong gusts and boosting production from gas and coal plants when supply is tight.