Wind farms are an essential part of our green vision for future energy supply

Published on Monday 20 July 2009 21:06

The recent report, 'Power of Scotland Renewed' which highlights how Scotland could more than meet its electricity demands from renewable sources by 2020, becoming a net exporter of renewable energy, is welcome news indeed.

Scotland is a nation which has struck gold in nature's national lottery in terms of delivering renewable energy, and the potential to regenerate areas through this is immense.

Energy-related opportunities presented by Scotland's natural capital have the potential to create tens of thousands of green jobs, providing a significant boost to the economy.

Wind farm projects we are working on in Caithness, for example, with Statkraft – Europe's largest generator of renewable energy – will provide considerable economic oppor- tunities both for the local area and nationally.

Achieving this 'green vision' and ensuring security of supply will require the support of an upgraded energy grid to ensure the delivery of electricity from what tends to be sparsely populated rural and coastal areas to the urban populations of the Central Belt and elsewhere.

As with other wind farm developers, we also have considerable concerns over connection charges to access the grid, which makes some schemes not economical to progress.

In this context the commitment from the UK Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Ed Milliband MP, to look at these concerns, is to be welcomed.

Scotland is in a leading position to demonstrate how the transition to a low-carbon economy can be undertaken, with a Scottish government target of delivering 50 per cent of electricity demand from renewables by 2020.

Wind farms play an essential part in the delivery of this target.

TOM POTTINGER

Director, Baillie Wind Farm

Westfield

Thurso

Caithness