Cornwall’s most valuable assets – its natural resources – could be the key to providing environmentally-friendly solutions to the worsening energy problem.

Cornwall can rightly boast of being a world leader in the expanding field of renewable energy – not only because of the expertise already in the county.

The Westcountry is already being targeted by five major companies as a possible location for state-of-the-art offshore wind turbines.

North Cornwall is among those areas being viewed as a prime location because of the high speed and low turbulence of winds off the Atlantic.

Another revolutionary project to tap the awesome power of the sea around our shores recently won European backing.

Scientists and engineers claim underwater turbines could eventually provide Britain with between 10-20% of its energy needs.

Cornwall already has six land-based windfarms.

Delabole, in North Cornwall, which was Britain’s first commercial windfarm, St Breock near Wadebridge and Cold Northcott near Launceston. There are two near Truro and another one at Goonhilly.

Wind energy produces zero-emissions and environmentally clean electricity but the road to renewable energy inevitably creates its own problems.

Any more plans for offshore wind turbines are likely to spark the same heated protests as each of Cornwall’s existing windfarms have.

To many, the giant windmills, which produce 5% of the county’s electricity, are a distinctive and special part of the landscape.

To others, they are monstrosities causing their own style of visual and noise pollution.

Other renewable energy sources now being explored include "biomass" which involves burning any organic substance, like willow and elephant grass, to produce power.

Cornish firsts in the history of exploiting sources of renewable energy

In 1822, Falmouth-born geologist Robert Were Fox II discovered that heat increased with a depth relating to the internal temperature of the earth. Eleven years later he constructed a dipping needle highly valued by those who voyaged in Arctic Seas, to assist in the study of magnetic phenomena

In 1812, Harvey’s of Hayle built the world’s first steam-powered rock boring machine. The firm played a key role in the birth of the Industrial Revolution.

The Royal Geological Society of Cornwall was established in 1818 and rapidly became one of the leading societies of the day.

Camborne School of Mines produced hot water using a long-term circulating dry rock geothermal system in 1985.

Delabole Windfarm, which opened in 1991, was Britain’s first commercial windfarm.

Thanks to the Western Morning News.