Wind farms are divisive because many opponents feel they are intrusive in areas of outstanding natural beauty, and many others question how efficient they are.

There is no doubt though that the newer turbines with their gearboxes and electronic components, are a great deal better - and bigger - than the early wind farms built in the 1990's. Doubts abort radars, affecting wildlife and birds and to some extent whirring noises, seems to have faded away.

But despite cultivating a policy to build turbines - by mostly private equity - in 7 specific areas of Wales, the archaic planning system, National Grid, narrow roads in remote counties as well as "not near my home" crowd, have meant that WAG will miss their 2010 target of energy from wind, in a fairly spectacular fashion.

Only four wind farms were completed in 2009 - one out to sea, with hardly any neighbors to moan about the location. Wind gets the lion share of investments, subsidies - through the renewable obligation certificate (ROCs).

In terms of clean green energy, solar is a poor distant cousin, despite potentially it could be far more popular, even more widespread The UK government with it's new feed-in-tariffs from next April will allow any homeowner or business to reap a quicker reward from investing anything upwards of £8,000, by placing photovoltaic solar panels on their roof.

But as with any renewable energy source, its intermittency is seen as a weak point. That's why this Labour government in London is also supportive of nuclear power. This, it says, backs up the renewable energy mix, with real muscle.

In Wales, Wylfa may cease producing electricity by December next year. A new reactor - Wylfa B may be online by 2019 says E.on, one of the companies bidding to bvuild new nuclear power stations in Britain.

What worries all governments is the dreaded energy gap - that by 2015 - with old nuclear and dirty coal power stations closing, there could be a shortfall. And the answer may not be all blowing in the wind, or warming our roofs via the sun.

And there are carbon emissions. Of course one real way of reducing CO2 emissions is to reduce the emitters. Population control has been tried in China - no politician has dared to request a cut in the number of people in Wales or Britain yet. Yes, recycle, reuse and reduce, has been used as a slogan - but half the problem currently with our energy and emission targets are that only half the problem is being looked at.

I only have to remind readers what the Institution of Mechanical Engineers said recently. That the UK government plans to make carbon emission cuts of 80% by 2050 are physically impossible to achieve, because there isn't enough time or capacity to build the wind turbines and extra nuclear power stations required.
Under current plans, the targets will not be met until 2100, it argues.

Dr Tim Fox is head of environment and climate change at the Institution. He says that the problems of building the infrastructure haven't been thought through.

"We'll be competing for the engineering resources to deploy those wind farms in a global market where lots of other nations are trying to de-carbonise at the same time. We've done an assessment of the level of kit that is needed and it is at a level of building and construction and deployment that is unprecedented in modern times."

This has been dismissed by a spokesman for DECC as, a ".. can't do, won't do attitude ..." and of being ".... defeatist ...ahead of the crucial climate change talks in Copenhagen."

One final thought, since our steelworks closed, and the coal mines were considered uneconomic, is Wales about to become a major generator of electricity for England as well as for ourselves? Already we contribute 11% electricity output over and beyond what we use in Wales. In a slow devolution process, that could throw up some interesting political questions in the future.

By Iolo ap Dafydd, BBC Wales Environment Correspondent

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