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Wind farms have slashed 'billions' from the value of rural homes, a secret Government report is expected to disclose.

The Coalition is in conflict over the critical document on renewable energy because it could prove they damage countryside communities.

Liberal Democrat ministers have been accused of trying to suppress the report, commissioned by Environment Secretary Owen Paterson, because it concentrates on 'ideology' not science, sources have said.

Today more details of the document have emerged, and it is believed to reveal the impact wind farms have on rural house prices.

Mr Paterson described wind farms as a ‘complete scam’ in June and is said to be furious at attempts to hold back his report.

Consultants Frontier Economics were brought in to establish the loss to house prices caused by onshore wind.

The work is part of a wider study into how renewables impact on the countryside and the rural economy.

Glyn Davies, the Conservative MP for Montgomeryshire, told the Daily Telegraph: 'I’m expecting this report to find that house prices will be reduced over the country by a measure of billions. It is my view that any unbiased study will show that. What is absolutely crucial is that this report is allowed to come out.'

Liberal Democrat Energy Secretary Ed Davey has played down reports of a row with his Conservative Cabinet colleague in a letter to the Daily Telegraph.

He said: 'My department is not blocking a DEFRA report on the impact of wind farms.

'The Government is committed to moving to a secure, affordable, low carbon energy system, without excessively relying on any single technology.

'So, this cross-government study will look at maximising the benefits and minimising the negative impacts of all technologies, including shale gas and nuclear.'

The report is a joint project between Mr Paterson's Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

A DEFRA spokesman said: 'It is our role to rural-proof policy. We need to ensure that energy is generated in a way that is sustainable. Sustainability includes the economic as well as social and environmental impacts.'

A Government spokeswoman said: 'We need to ensure that energy is generated in a way that is sustainable and understand the effects that different technologies have on the environment and on communities across the country.

'DECC and DEFRA are working together on this report, which is not yet complete, to ensure that it meets the usual standards and quality assurances that you would expect from any Government publication.

'A diverse energy mix is the best way to meet our energy security requirements, our climate change commitments and keep energy bills affordable.'

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LITTLE ENCOURAGEMENT:Ma said renewable energy has limitations and could not replace natural gas and other fuels, but touted his renewable energy track record

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said Taiwan must continue to use natural gas and other energy resources to meet the nation’s power requirements, saying renewable energy had limitations in a visit to a Penghu County wind farm.

The county established 14 wind power turbines at Jhongtun Village (中屯) and Husi Township (湖西) to generate wind power. State-run Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) said the two power stations could generate 10,000 watts, accounting for about one-quarter of the island’s energy demand.

Ma yesterday inspected the power station at Jhongtun Village and discussed energy issues with a group of students in a local forum. While lauding the county as the best location to generate wind power in Asia thanks to strong winds in the area, Ma said renewable energy cannot fully replace natural gas and other energy sources.

“Renewable energy has its limitations. Natural gas and other fuels are still necessary to provide baseload power and meet peak demand when the wind is not strong enough,” he told the forum held at Makong High School.

Ma said the development of renewable energy is a global trend, and his administration has aimed to diversify the nation’s energy supply.

The government passed the Renewable Energy Development Act (再生能源發展條例) in 2009 to develop renewable energy, including the establishment of wind power stations and solar power panels around the nation, he said.

Ma’s comments came amid demands for the government to suspend the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s (新北市) Gongliao District (貢寮). Former Democratic Progressive Party chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday reiterated calls for Ma to suspend the construction of the power plant immediately to respond to public demand for a a nuclear-free homeland.

When inspecting the wind power station in Penghu, Ma repeated that building a nuclear-free homeland is a goal of the Basic Environment Act (環境基本法), and that the government is pursuing this goal, while keeping electricity prices at an acceptable level and not disrupting power supplies.