Scots wind power ‘could keep lights on in England’

Published on Thursday 3 November 2011 00:00

Green energy from Scotland may be needed to keep the lights on in England, First Minister Alex Salmond said.

Mr Salmond said in ten years’ time power from offshore windfarms north of the Border will be needed to help England meet its energy requirements.

The First Minister spoke out as it was reported that financial services corporation Citigroup was warning its clients about the dangers of investing in Scottish renewable energy projects. The advice declares that there is likely to be “huge uncertainty” surrounding the country’s future ahead of the referendum promised by the SNP Government.

It also warns that an independent Scotland would be “far too small” to support what it estimates is the £4 billion a year annual subsidy that renewable energy production north of the Border will soon require. It urges investors to “exercise extreme caution” in ploughing in more cash to back the country’s drive to expand renewables.

Mr Salmond accused the analyst who wrote the research of having a “brainstorm”, and insisted that the referendum plans had not stopped energy firms continuing to plough funds into Scotland since the SNP’s victory in May.

Scotland’s leading business lobby, CBI Scotland, last night said the Citigroup warning “echoed the point” it made two months ago, when it warned that there could be a hiatus of investment prior to the referendum being held.

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34

Slioch.

Friday, November 4, 2011 at 10:24 AM

#33 You can be as outraged as you like. My experienced has shown me that the less people understand about global warming issues the more outraged they become. But I am not going to discuss such matters with you at the present moment. Rather I wish to address your use of the the moniker Slioch. I have used that moniker since 2006. It only became available (as far as I am aware) during the changeover to the new website and I assume you took it then. It is clearly very confusing to have two persons with an almost identical moniker and since I have a long history of using the moniker Slioch I would ask you to change to some other distinctive moniker so that the two of us do not become confused by third parties, which would be to advantage to neither of us.

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33

Slioch

Friday, November 4, 2011 at 09:49 AM

#32 I am simply outraged by your assertions which are as baseless as the discernible human effect in the very stable global temperatures of the previous 10 years as verified recently through real and valid scientific process. That, together with 2 years of falling ocean temps and levels - NASA verified - show a tipping point in credibility has been reached. CERN cloud-seeding results blew the final hole in AGW theory proving beyond doubt the baselessness of global scaremongering. I suggest you read Matt Ridely's lecture, in Edinburgh recently, to the Royal Society of Arts on the subject of scientific heresey. Perhaps you will recognise the profile and basis of your unswerving belief in complete Junkscience... www.bishop-hill.netblog2011111scientific-heresy.html I am Spartacus.

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32

Slioch.

Friday, November 4, 2011 at 09:03 AM

I might add that Slioch. emphatically does not endorse the views of John Sullivan concerning the relative CO2 emissions of industrial versus third world countries (see#15). Sullivan has misinterpreted the data.

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31

Slioch.

Friday, November 4, 2011 at 08:56 AM

For information: the person posting here as "Slioch" is NOT the person (myself) who has traditionally posted as Slioch since 2006, mainly on climate change issues. It appears that the change to a new website may have allowed someone else to steal my old moniker, which I had understood was unavailable. The original Slioch now posts under Slioch. (with a full stop after the h).

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30

matrix

Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 08:10 PM

Great idea. Lord Forsyth and Lord Fookes could probably manage it between the two of them.

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29

Slioch

Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 03:59 PM

#25#26 Cynicus, You obviously didn't read that link... I think you should.

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28

Kon

Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 02:56 PM

"“Green energy from Scotland may be needed to keep the lights on in England, First Minister Alex Salmond said" Thing is England already has Europe's largest offshore wind farm and Europe's largest tide generating plants, England is approving more and more renuables systems so if "England is going to have to have Scottish renuables" then why does England have there own systems already that dwarf anything in Scotland currently? Salmond is confused with the meaning of "obligations", obligations of using renuables are subject to change without notice at all whereas the need for power itself is non negotiable and thats why England and Wales have just approved the next generation of nuclear plants to keep the UK (even Scotland) powered up regardless of the wind or tide or sunshine.

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27

mlyons51

Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 02:04 PM

18# I think you'll find that Denmark produces only 20% of its electricity from wind turbines. The same as it has done for the last ten years. The Scot Nats Party is planning 100%. A lot of in the industry have been asking for a long time where the subsidies will come from when Scotland seperates from the UK under NATs rule. Citigroup have just picked up on this. Salmond is clueless if he does not understand the problem.

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26

Cynicus

Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 01:54 PM

"We are getting to the point of where the overall argument is settled and closed"-#15, Slioch Strawman. _______________________________________________________ Who ever disputed that North America and Western Europe are the heaviest CO2 emitters? So what? In 10 years time we will be overtaken by India and China. _________________________________

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25

Cynicus

Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 01:53 PM

"We are getting to the point of where the overall argument is settled and closed"-#15, Slioch _______________________________________________________ Strawman. _______________________________________________________ Who ever disputed that North America and Western Europe are the heaviest CO2 emitters? So what? In 10 years time we will be overtaken by India and China.

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24

Danielrober2

Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 11:26 AM

I think one needs to be careful when judging competency against the back drop of the banking crisis. For example D Bank had to borrow over $66 billion from the USA government, money which is almost as much as required by the country of Greece. Other Banks also borrowed heavily from the USA, UK and other countries government. As an investment organisation Citi Group advises investors, it is a private organisation and therefore cannot be told what to say by a government. ......................Maybe talking to this organisation might be a benefit rather than just grumbling and lazing off to moan in an eatery or pub.

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23

noodle doodle

Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 11:10 AM

#15 err I read the link, and he's saying the tv report claimed north america europe contribute the least co2 and undeveloped tropical rainforest by far and away the most. Do you not just get the feeling the scientist on the telly had the colour scale the wrong way round rather than it blowing a hole in global warming (and blowing a hole inthe main plank of photosynthesis as well) ? :-D

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22

noodle doodle

Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 11:03 AM

#21 and as the solar companies found out this week, that susbsidy rug can be pulled out from under you at a moment's notice.

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21

Ron Greer

Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 10:35 AM

For those unable to access the NETA site Wind( from around 3500 turbines) is producing at the UK level 1790 Megawatts of electricity, pump storage 714, and hydro 669. One wonders how many homes and factories are being powered by that!? This is on a bumper day for wind. Gas is producing 15,275 Mw and coal 17805Mw Windfarming is about subsidy farming as the developers are openly admitting. The fuel-poor taxpayer-customer is being milched to make the rich richer.

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20

Tom R

Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 10:34 AM

Citygroup proved themselves incapable of recognising the risks in their own business and had to be saved by the US government in 2008. Now, in the teeth of investment after investment in Scotland-clearly not deterred by the impending referendum-we are supposed to pay attention to this ill considered verbiage-physician heal thyself is a justified response.

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