Britain plans to launch a huge expansion of offshore wind-power, with enough turbines to generate nearly half of Britain’s current electricity consumption, energy secretary John Hutton announced.

Hutton wants to see this target raised to 33GW-worth of wind turbines installed in the seas around Britain by 2020. If energy consumption remains stable, this would mean wind power could supply the electricity needs of every home in Britain, supplemented by fossil-fuelled power stations for windless days.