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In interviews yesterday he said that offshore wind would be an important part of energy independence due to there being fewer planning issues than with onshore.

He identified the Dogger bank as a key area for development due to its shallow waters.

Huhne told the Daily Telegraph: "It's relatively cheap to put wind turbines in that shallow area. It's beautifully windy so it does actually produce a lot of electricity – that is a really important natural resource for us."

Liberal Democrat Huhne said that there would be no extra subsidies for the nuclear industry, a position that puts him at odds with the policy of the party’s coalition partner, the Conservative Party.

Huhne is due to make a major statement on energy to the UK Parliament tomorrow.

There are currently 253 wind farms in operation in the UK with a further 12 operating offshore.