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Perverse decision on new wind farm
Credit: The Herald | www.heraldscotland.com 3 August 2012 ~~
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Translate: FROM English | TO English
Yet another wind farm at Glenchamber, Glenluce, has been allowed at appeal by the Scottish Government in spite of the democratically elected council’s decision to refuse (“RES wins windfarm appeal”, The Herald, August 1).
In her Decision Notice the Reporter cited the terms of National Planning Framework 2 and Scottish Planning Policy which “confirm the Scottish Government’s strong support for renewable energy development … contributing to more secure and diverse energy supplies, and supporting sustainable economic growth” and ruled that the Scottish Government’s targets to generate by renewable means took precedence over all other material considerations. This is a recurrent theme to which there seems to be no answer.
Almost £16 million has been paid to Scottish windfarms to shut down when there is high wind output and low demand. There is not enough capacity on the cross-border interconnector to accommodate it, and wind energy has to be constrained off at ransom prices to preserve grid stability. An unknown additional sum has also been paid under “commercially confidential” agreements for the same purpose.
It is perverse that, given the Government’s aims wind farms continue to be consented when the distribution system cannot deal with the present output.
The Scottish Government has aspirations for generation by renewables of the equivalent of Scotland’s electricity demand by 2020, for sale to England (or perhaps Europe or Scandinavia) but no plans. The market research to identify customers has not even been done. The funding and construction of the infrastructure in England to enable distribution of Scotland’s excess wind energy is not even in the power or purse of Holyrood, yet we still allow more and more windfarms through.
The people of Scotland will not forgive this Government when the full extent becomes known of the damage caused by these reckless aspirations to our way of life, our health, our prosperity, and our beautiful land.
Stuart Young,
Dunmore, Westside, Dunnet.
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