October 9, 2007
Scotland
Scotland
[Says it will make motorists feel good]
ALAN Wilson, chief executive of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI), yesterday urged the Scottish Government to back plans by Airtricity to build a 580 megawatt, 161-turbine, wind farm astride the M74.
In a letter in support of the Clyde Valley wind farm to the enterprise minister, Jim Mather, Wilson said that the continuing development of the renewable energy industry is very important to the Scottish economy and society, and that “too many significant projects are languishing in the Scottish planning and consents system”.
Wilson said that projects like the Clyde Valley facility, which will generate enough electricity to power 300,000 homes, were vital to achieving the Scottish Government’s target of reducing carbon emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. “As a result carbon emissions will be reduced by around 1.3 million tonnes.”
He also noted that the Airtricity project would “involve local contractors and Scottish engineering organisations in the construction, operation and maintenance of the wind farm will bring significant economic rewards to the area in the form of contracts and demand for skilled labour”.
He added: “This will send positive environmental signals to all motorists using the M74.”
COLIN DONALD
9 Oct 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/10/09/scdi-chief-wilson-urges-approval-for-161-turbine-m74-wind-farm/