April 17, 2012
Scotland

You’ll go broke, says Trump

By Ryan Crighton, The Press and Journal, www.pressandjournal.co.uk 17 April 2012

Donald Trump will today tell MSPs he would not have spent a single penny in Scotland had he known the government wanted to “decimate” the country with windfarms.

The US billionaire believes the Scottish Government is heading towards economic ruin with its green energy proposals.

The SNP wants 100% of Scotland’s electricity supply to come from renewable energy by 2020 – and hundreds of wind turbine projects are planned across the north and north-east.

Mr Trump will travel to Edinburgh next week to tell a Holyrood committee that powerful investors like himself will turn their back on Scotland if its “greatest asset” – the unspoiled countryside and shoreline – is compromised.”

And in a written submission to members – to be handed over this morning – he says Scotland will go broke if First Minister Alex Salmond and his government are not stopped.

Last night his claims were dismissed by the Nationalists, who said the property developer must realise that Scotland’s green “revolution” is already under way.

An 11-turbine project planned for Aberdeen Bay has motivated Mr Trump to challenge the plans.

The European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) is a £200million joint venture by utility company Vattenfall, engineering firm Technip and Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (Areg).

Mr Trump says it will ruin the views from his £750million resort at the Menie Estate, near Balmedie. He says Scotland’s tourism sector – and its economy – are now in “jeopardy” because of the SNP’S green energy plans.

He said: “Does anyone honestly believe that a windfarm landscape will stimulate tourism?

“The answer, in fact, is that it will completely end tourism in Scotland. Ireland and other countries competing for revenue from tourists are thrilled – Scotland is, in effect, committing financial suicide.”

Nationalist MSP Mark Mcdonald – who represents the north-east – hit back last night.

He said: “Major overseas companies, such as Mitsubishi, Gamesa, Samsung, Technip, ABB and Alstom and Hammerfest Strom, see Scotland’s huge potential and are already investing heavily in the development of wind, wave and tidal technologies.

“We welcome the widest possible debate on how developing our clean, green energy resources is bringing investment to communities across Scotland.

“Mr Trump is, of course, welcome to join that debate but he must recognise that the renewables revolution is well under way in Scotland and will create thousands of jobs in doing so.”

But Mr Trump is in no mood to back down. “If I had known about the current wind turbine proposals, I would never have built in Scotland.”

He adds: “Do not decimate a steadfast sector of your economy with a gamble that is unreliable and driven by public subsidies, political rhetoric and promises of ‘independence’ – your pristine countryside and coastlines will forever be destroyed and Scotland will go broke.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/04/17/youll-go-broke-says-trump/