Complaint
A reader of this report complained that:
- The figures given for the price paid to generate electricity from offshore wind farms were inaccurate because it was not made clear they should be adjusted for inflation.
- The original report was inaccurate because it did not explain Floating Offshore Wind will receive the 2012 Administrative Strike Price of £176/MWh, and a clarification added subsequently was insufficient.Â
- It was inaccurate to say the plan to raise offshore wind capacity to 50GW by 2030 was “enough to power every home in the UK†because “the pattern of offshore wind generation is highly variableâ€.
The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the ±«Óãtv’s editorial standards of accuracy.
Outcome
- It would have been clearer if the article had said from the outset that the figures were from 2012 and had not been adjusted for inflation. However, the significant information for readers was the percentage increase in the maximum amount the Government would pay (bearing in mind the increase is intended to encourage further investment after the last auction for Offshore Wind projects failed to attract any bidders), and the article was duly accurate in this respect.
- Irrespective of the later clarification, the ECU did not consider readers would have been significantly misled by the article’s original omission of information about Floating Offshore Wind.
- The ECU accepted the article was potentially misleading in stating 50GW would be “enough to power every home in the UK†because readers may have assumed the increase in offshore wind capacity would consistently generate enough electricity to meet the demands of every home in the UK, whereas that amount of electricity would be generated only when wind speeds allowed turbines to operate at maximum capacity. However, it regarded the subsequent amendment to the article in this respect sufficient to consider this aspect of the complaint to have been appropriately resolved.
Not upheld/resolved