April 5, 2008
Letters, Scotland

Windfarm benefits not proven

Lorne MacLeod praises windfarms (Press and Journal, April 2) saying “considerable benefits can be brought to communities from having their own income streams”.

Readers should be wary of those who say the public will benefit from windfarms because that’s not proven. Mr MacLeod appears unaware that parliament has asked the UK Government’s chief scientific officer to research the possibility that mechanical vibrations from windfarms installed on peat are an environmental hazard likely to seriously harm taxpayer and business interests such as whisky, bottled waters and tourism.

I asked Mr Macleod’s associates, Highland Alternative Energy, the wind turbine manufacturers’ umbrella body, British Wind Energy Association, and local authorities in the north and north-east if they will indemnify taxpayer and business interests against such consequential loss.

No one is prepared to, and I doubt Mr MacLeod will, so communities should be wary about who wins and who loses from windfarms.

Dixie Dean,

Queen’s Own Place,

Forres.