U.K. moves closer to 6.6 GW in wind energy

LONDON, July 9 (UPI) -- The British government said it gave its consent for the construction of two new offshore wind farms that would push the country's capacity above 6.6 GW.

The British government gave approval for the construction of the 580 megawatt Race Bank and 560 MW Greater Wash wind farms off the Norfolk coast.

British State Minister for Energy Charles Hendry said the combined capacity of the two wind farms means more than 6.6 gigawatts of offshore wind energy is online or under development in the country.

"The U.K. is racing ahead of the global field and these two new offshore wind farms underline this momentum," he said in a statement. "These two projects will not only bring us considerable amounts of clean energy, but significant investment and jobs too."

The country boasts an operational wind energy capacity of 1.9 GW. An energy road map published in 2011 calls for 18 MW of offshore wind energy capacity by the end of the decade.

The United Kingdom is the world leader in offshore wind capacity. The country aims to generate 15 percent of its overall energy from renewable resources by 2020.