I AM writing in response to a letter that appeared in last week’s edition regarding the planned solar farm somewhere in Steeple Ashton.

Whereas I can fully understand opposition to the actual location (ie not on my doorstep) and also the drawbacks they – they are of no use at night as anyone who has had panels installed will be only too aware of. You’d be almost completely be stuck if you had to rely on them for all your power supplies this time of year. However, anytime they are of use is less coal being used in a power station, henceforth making coal supplies last that bit longer, which we are always being told will run out eventually and all other fossil fuels.

If you get what you can from renewables when you can, the longer fossil fuels will last. The more oil you will have to run cars on, which is something that anyone who lives in Bratton or anywhere such like is aware of how much that would be missed if all fossil fuels had been used producing electricity.

When I first heard that Germany planned to phase out all their nuclear power stations by 2020, my immediate thought was that they must have discovered vast stocks of coal, for the simple reason I would never have believed the real reason is that they plan to rely entirely on renewable energy. I doubt that is possible, but good on them for giving it a go. If we could fortunately get half our energy from renewables that would then make the other forms of energy last twice as long. If all the fossil fuels ran out next week we would probably ask ourselves why we did not get what we could from renewables much sooner. Good on anyone who has had solar panels installed, I hope they have not been too much of a disappointment as this time of year they have very limited use, but as the inhabitants of Fukushima, Aberfan or anyone who can remember the Torey Canyon oil tanker, all forms of energy have some problem of some kind.

J R Hawkins Ramsbury Walk Trowbridge PS: Why the need to build a third nuclear power station at Hinkley Point at the cost of £20 something billion when there have already two built in the last 50 years? Could it be that they have a limited lifespan and that the first one is now decommissioned? How long will it be before they have to build a fourth one?