I write to you to address some of the issues raised by Susan Thomas’ letter (Oxford Mail, February 18).

I would like to know where and how wind turbines cited in the UK by our major power providers have ever been the subject of UK government subsidies?

If Ms Thomas was to visit a coal-fired power station I’m sure she would be amazed at its physical size when close-up.

She might also be surprised by the amount of equipment needed to convey the coal into the station from its storage areas, and then the amount of equipment to pulverise the coal, burn it, clean the flue gases and dispose of the dust and ash residue.

Further to this, add the impact on the environment of ash and dust disposal and the power needed to perform all the main and ancillary operations – which is usually around 25-30 megawatts per large generator.

The visual impact of any power station is always large, and the ongoing impact of large overhead grid power lines are more intrusive on the landscape than wind turbines.

It seems, though, that all this is permissible, as the return on investment is higher with a coal-fired power station than it is with a wind farm.

Perhaps Ms Thomas’s loyalties are to her bank balance rather than the already polluted world in which we live.

But, then again, she doesn’t seem to be worried that her sums, done for capital expenditure on a coal-fired power station – (whatever the size) dwarf the costs of a wind farm.

If Ms Thomas really wants to know the key cause of high energy bills, she need look no further than the Thatcher government that sold off a national asset which was the envy of the rest of the world, through energy privatisation.

Through de-regulation most parts of our power stations, grid and local suppliers have fallen into foreign hands, and we now subsidise their home markets through our high tariffs.

Things will only get worse as the older larger generating stations such as Didcot A, one of many commissioned by the Wilson government, reach the end of their operational lives.

Costs of replacement will make our present national debt look minimalist.

The rest of Europe is, by and large, happy with its wind farms and the returns they provide. And I for one, am happy with the knowledge that Europe is a far better run place than the USA will ever aspire to be. Steve Plant, Thorney Leys, Witney