Wind Power News: Scotland
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Donald Trump begins wind farm legal challenge
Donald Trump today launched his legal challenge against the Scottish Government’s decision to give the go-ahead to the controversial offshore wind farm he claims forced him to pull the plug on future investment in his luxury Scottish golf resort. Lawyers acting for the Trump Organisation and Trump International Golf Links Scotland lodged a petition at the Court of Session in Edinburgh this afternoon at the start of what is expected to be a lengthy legal dispute over the European Offshore . . .
Fewer holiday makers in Carrick
Fewer and fewer people are coming to holiday cottages in the beautiful Stinchar Valley. And a main factor is the spread of wind turbines in South Carrick. That’s what a rural resident told a South Ayrshire Council planning committee. William Hair said: “Bookings are few and far between for holiday cottages – a marked contrast with years past.” Mr Hair is one of 17 objectors to a solo turbine going up at Little Pinmore Farm. It would be 60 metres . . .
Wind farm is blown away
Plans to erect four large wind turbines have been torn up after the developer concluded that the site near Hutton in the Merse Valley is unsuitable. Airvolution Energy has announced that it will not be proceeding with plans to develop the 126.5m turbines at Crossrig, 3km southwest of Hutton. The news has been greeted with relief by the Lamberton and Mordington Action Group. Airvolution expressed interest in the Crossrig site in November 2012, prompting concern across the Merse Valley that . . .
Council recommends that plans for Ascog turbines are refused
Planners at Argyll and Bute Council have recommended that the council rejects the application for three wind turbines to be erected at Ascog Farm. The application, submitted by Adrian Tear, is for three wind turbines, measuring 74m to blade-tip, was published in The Buteman in early November of last year and has generated a great deal of debate both in the pages of the paper and online. Argyll and Bute Council’s planners have recommended the application be rejected, primarily on . . .
Grid pays £6m to turn off wind farm turbines
Wind farm operators in Scotland have been paid nearly £6 million over the past 33 days not to generate electricity, more than was paid out for the whole of last year. Campaigners claim there has never been a longer period of consecutive payments and are continuing to call for the energy regulator to investigate. The industry has hit back, highlighting comparable payments made to power stations, but both sides agree the problem is a transmission system unfit to export enough . . .
Lairds criticised for pocketing wind farm subsidies
The leader of the Scottish Government review of landownership yesterday pledged to examine ways of redistributing the cash wealthy lairds make from wind farms to benefit the less-advantaged. Alison Elliot, chair of the Land Reform Review Group (LRRG), said the issue would be investigated amid concerns that aristocrats are benefiting from the renewables revolution while the poor grapple with fuel poverty. Dr Elliot, a former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, said: “We have got to . . .
Westminster report states island windfarms ‘unlikely to be economic’
High transmission charges could render the Viking Energy windfarm project uneconomic, according to a UK government report. The document published by the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change considered the evidence for developing renewable projects including onshore wind, wave and tidal, in the island groups. And while it said renewables projects could create thousands of jobs in the isles it stated: “Under current policy it is unlikely to be economic to develop further onshore wind projects on the islands . . .
Battling calls to tear down mast
A green energy firm is fighting calls to tear down its controversial wind measuring mast on the edge of Banff. The company, Northumberland-based E-Gen, has been ordered by Aberdeenshire Council to remove its 165ft structure at Cowie Hill, Alvah. The mast, which is expected to pave the way for a larger windfarm development, was installed at the beginning of 2012. Earlier this year, local councillors rejected EGen’s bid to extend the life of the anemometer mast by an extra two . . .
SNP’S green energy ‘too expensive to sell abroad’
Alex Salmond’s plan to export electricity generated by wind farms is destined to fail because other countries can provide cheaper energy, an expert has warned. The First Minister has overseen a relentless march of wind farms across the countryside and believes Scotland will be able to sell ‘green’ energy. But Professor Jack Ponton, a former vice-president of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, has warned that electricity produced by turbines is ‘expensive’ and ‘uncontrollable’. He said that France has cheaper nuclear . . .
Locals hail refusal of Govals Farm windfarm plan
Angus residents turned out in force to welcome planning refusal for a six-turbine windfarm. Refusal of the 4.8MW proposal for land at Govals Farm, near Forfar and the A90, was backed by councillors on Tuesday in front of a full house on the public benches. Farmer David Cooper and consultants Green Cat Renewables planned a development north-west of the Kincaldrum farm, between 1km and 2.7km west of the dual carriageway. However, a meeting of the development standards committee took an . . .
