Government going for solar as wind energy fails to materialize - Labour

Private operators have cast doubts on the government's plans to base its renewable energy targets on wind farms, according to Labour Environment spokesman Leo Brincat. Addressing a press conference this afternoon, Mr Brincat said the government was only talking about solar farms (to harvest energy from the sun) because there seemed to be a realization that the proposed offshore wind farm at Mellieha was unfeasible. "Industry operators have privately expressed doubts on the government's emphasis on wind power to reach EU renewable energy targets," Mr Brincat said. Studies are still being made to assess the viability of the offshore wind farm, without which two smaller onshore wind farms will not be viable. Quoting from official documents, Mr Brincat said solar energy had barely featured in the government's overall strategy to generate at least 10 per cent of electricity from renewable sources by 2020. "My suspicion is that the renewable targets were not met last year and are unlikely to be met this year... Malta is doomed to languish in the EU's relegation zone of renewable energy targets," he said. He also criticized the Government for not yet having a national energy...