But the uncomfortable truth is that, until their scheduled completion later this year, no-one has yet seen the reality of what may become a typical sight 3 miles off some of our less-cherished coasts. We await these marine giants with not a little anxiety. If they are an acceptable alternative we can stiffen our objections to their land-based cousins even more: if they are not, we will just have to dig in deeper and fend off even more wrath from our environmentalist 'friends' of both the earth and the sea.
It was against this background that I found myself preparing CPRW for my advice that we should nevertheless oppose offshore project number three, at Scarweather. Tantalisingly, it would have taken marine wind power over the psychologically important 1TWh barrier. Opposition would also have given strength to our arm in fighting the burgeoning onshore projects in the Cinderella landscapes above the south-Wales valleys, newly freed from the tyranny of coal tips.
But this was not, as United Utilities might like to think, simply a visual extension seawards of the industrial landscape of Port Talbot. Thirty turbines three times the height of those typical in mid Wales would lie west of a cherished and charming open coastline and flail against the rays of the setting sun. It is just the place that fixes your eyes whether you play golf, walk the dog, laze about at Rest Bay, or wander down to Kenfig Pool.
Or, ride the surf! When Merfyn and I arrived at the SoS meeting at the 'Hi-Tide' we had a culture shock. It was not the usual sprinkling of senior citizens in the lounge of a genteel hotel. There were some, but they had to be picked out from the rolling sea of the young and fairly young, the fit and the fairly fit, whose individual presence at a typical CPRW gathering would have sparked a frisson of excitement. What a sea change! If I had any doubts before I knew we were right on the night.
Full frontal impact on Porthcawl and Kenfig is bad enough: peripheral damage to Gower and Exmoor adds insult to injury. Lobbying of Councillors, Assembly members has combined with populist support to secure the first UK Public Inquiry into an offshore project, or any above the 50MW level given such derisory treatment by the Trade and Industry system at Cefn Croes. A whole new generation and a new community has now learned the unpalatable and difficult truth that being truly green is a painful business. This is the unacceptable face of offshore wind power and we look forward to joining them at the Public Inquiry.