Red tape could block Scottish Government energy plans

SOARING costs and damaging planning red tape could “significantly slow down” the SNP Government’s flagship plan to of create all of Scotland’s electricity from green energy by 2020, a Holyrood committee will be warned.

The boss of a leading wind power firm will today tell the Scottish Parliament’s energy committee that many local planning departments of councils are not able to deal with “complex” applications for renewable energy projects.

Steve Salt of West Coast Energy will also issue a stark warning that a new “hardline” approach from military chiefs over the impact of wind farms could also be among “the significant barriers” affecting the SNP’s target of generating the equivalent of 100 per cent of electricity demand from renewable resources by 2020.

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Senior SNP MSP John Wilson, the deputy head of Holyrood’s energy committee, told The Scotsman that some renewable energy companies were forced to pay up to £60,000 for wind farm applications, regardless of whether the schemes are approved.