Fossil fuel plants can’t be turned on and off as the wind rises or falls

LIKE the wind industry in general, Airtricity’s Eddie O’Connor (Letters, January 26) is strong on word-play, but weak on the substantive issues.

He rejects my assertion (Letters, January 22) that his wind farms would not get off the ground if the Government did not impose take-off contracts.

Yet Airtricity’s USA chief, Declan Flanagan, wrote in 2003 that “all wind farm developers require bankable power purchase agreements giving security over 15 years if they are to raise funds”.