Scottish puts faith in wind

May 20, 2004 - Daily Telegraph London
Author(s): Tessa Thorniley

SCOTTISH and Southern Energy, Britain's fourth-largest power supplier, is planning to spend an extra pounds 300m investing in wind power this year.

From a pounds 1.2billion capital investment programme, it intends to spend pounds 500m - up from pounds 200m - developing onshore wind farms.

Ian Marchant, group chief executive, said yesterday: "The economics of wind farms are good, as are the returns and our shareholders seem to approve."

But Mr Marchant, reporting pre-tax profits in the year to March 2004 down 1.4pc to pounds 607m on sales up 26pc to pounds 5.2billion, said high forward gas prices in the UK will lead to a rise in customers' bills.

Underlying profits rose 9.4pc to pounds 609.7m.

 


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