September 26, 2014
Scotland

Trump says wind farm policy lost Scottish independence vote for SNP

By Kelvin Ross, Editor | Power Engineering International | 26/09/2014 | www.powerengineeringint.com

US billionaire Donald Trump believes that the Scottish National Party lost last week’s vote for independence because of its energy policy and specifically its promotion of wind farms.

He said “there’s no doubt” that the SNP and its leader Alex Salmond lost the referendum because of onshore and offshore wind farms.

Trump told the BBC today: “Salmond had a very bad result and a lot of people were so against his energy policy and his policy on these ugly windmills destroying the beautiful land of Scotland.

“You have a minor revolution going on in Scotland because of these wind farms. If you happen to have one near your house, your house loses 50 per cent of its value, so there are a lot of people that voted against Alex Salmond’s energy policy – there’s no doubt.”

Trump is a strong opponent of wind farms, not least because there are plans to build one offshore from the Menie estate in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, which he owns and where he plans to build a hotel and two golf courses.

Asked if he would ditch those plans if planning consent for the wind project went ahead, Trump today answered ‘no’, but then added: “I would be spending tens of millions of pounds but I don’t want to do that if they build one of these ugly wind farms right next to it.”

The European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre would have 11 turbines and last month was granted a marine licence. Trump objects to it because it would be visible from golf greens at Menie.

Trump this week also lodged objections to a nine-turbine wind farm project put forward by Clare Coastal Windpower to be built near his Doonberg Golf Resort in Ireland.

In the interview with BBC Radio 4’s today’s programme, Trump also said he would not rule out running as a Republican candidate for US president: “A lot of polls want me to. Our country is not doing well and a lot of mistakes are being made by people who are incompetent. If I don’t see the right person who is running, there is certainly a possibility.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/09/26/trump-says-wind-farm-policy-lost-scottish-independence-vote-for-snp/