Offshore wind will be vital to weaning our economies off fossil fuels. Nick Dowson explores its potential and warns of the circling sharks looking for profit.
Off my local beach, a string of five turbines sprout from the horizon, extending outwards from the port of Blyth – historically a major point for coal export, and more recently a base for the testing and construction of offshore wind.
I find them comforting: a sign of the potential for a sea change in the technologies that underpin our civilization. They are also a reminder of the energy transition that is creaking into existence, too slowly, its shape still ripe for contestation.
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