LONDON, Jan 9: In a claim that would surely shock the world, especially the oil importing poor countries, the Energy Watch group asserted on Friday that the International Energy Agency (IEA) was obstructing a global switch to renewable power because of its ties to the oil, gas and nuclear sectors.

Experts from the Energy Watch group say the IEA publishes misleading data on renewables, and that it has consistently underestimated the amount of electricity generated by wind power in its advice to governments. They say the IEA shows “ignorance and contempt” towards wind energy, while promoting oil, coal and nuclear as “irreplaceable” technologies.

In a report published on Friday, the Energy Watch experts said wind-power capacity had rocketed since the early 90s and that if current trends continued, wind and solar power-generation combined were on track to match conventional generation by 2025.

The report said the number of wind turbines installed over the last decade had grown by 30 per cent annually, and total wind power capacity was more than 90GW – the equivalent of 90 conventional coal or nuclear power stations. It added that the boom in wind energy was “so far barely touched by any sign of recession or financial crisis”.

If current trends continued, the report claimed, wind capacity could reach 7,500GW by 2025 – making half of all new power projects wind or solar. Conventional power stations could be phased out completely by 2037.

Werner Zittel of the Energy Watch group, said: “It is time to realise that the many detractors of wind energy have got it wrong. We have seen more than 10 years of unprecedented growth in this sector…

“This is not about morals or environment but the commercial reality that wind, coupled with hydro, solar, biomass and geothermal energy is not only a rapid and cost-effective alternative, but one that could deliver all our energy requirements within the first half of the century.”