Cameron sees major role for wind energy

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LONDON, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was determined to seize the energy and industrial potential represented by wind energy.

Cameron, during an investment conference in London, said his country needs at least $300 billion in investments to boost energy security and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

"I see offshore wind as a significant energy and industrial opportunity for the U.K., and one that I am determined to seize," he said in a statement.

British Energy Minister Charles Hendry added that putting significant capital in the offshore wind energy sector would get major projects "off the drawing board and into the water."

London is examining its energy mix in the wake of a nuclear crisis triggered by a May earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The geopolitics tied to conventional natural gas in Europe and uncertainty surrounding shale gas, meanwhile, prompted Climate Secretary Chris Huhne to declare, in an article in The Guardian, that "golden age of cheap energy looks increasingly unlikely."

The government shouldn't pick winners in terms of energy, he added, noting wind farms and other forms of alternative energy will remain in the country's energy mix.