Tha mòran ceàrr air poileasaidh a’ chumhachd, tha Murray MacLeòid ag ràdh

Tha an suidheachadh le prìsean gas ag èirigh air sealltainn dhuinn dìreach cho cugallach ‘s a tha margaidh na cumhachd agus mar a tha sinn fhathast an urra ri dùthchannan eile, a dh’aindeoin ’s gu bheil An Cuan a Tuath fhathast trang agus a dh’aindeoin an adhartais ann an cumhachd ath-nuadhachail.

Thathas an dràsta a’ beachdachadh air 14 làraich son tuathan gaoithe air muir

Tha dùil gun tig ìmpidh ùr air cùisean às dèidh co-labhairt COP ann an Glaschu ann am beagan sheachdainean – cruinneachadh bliadhnail nan Dùthchannan Aonaichte airson dèiligeadh ris an àrainneachd – agus tha an cron a tha blàthachadh na cruinne a’ deànamh cho faicinnsineach sa ghabhas, fiù ‘s dhan duine as teagmhaiche.

Tha dearg ghèiltean, tuiltean is teas mì-nàdarrach a-nis cumanta agus bidh aig na milleanan rin dachaighean fhàgail ri linn àrdachadh ann an ìre na mara agus fearran àiteachais a’ dol bho fheum, a’ cruthachadh an tuilleadh dhuilgheadasan le imrich.

A dh’aindeoin a' chruaidh fheum air gluasad gu luath gu cumhachd eile, ‘s e fìrinn na cùise gum bi a leithid gas is ola fhathast againn airson greis fhathast, ma tha sinn airson na solais a chumail air agus an eaconamaidh a chumail a' dol.

Na gabh feart dhen còmhstri phoileataigeach a tha a’ dol an-dràsta mu Càmbo, làrach ola 75 mìle an iar air Sealltainn, a tha a' feitheamh air cead a dhol air adhart agus gu leòr airson casg a chur air. ‘S e fìrinn na cùise gu bheil An Cuan a Tuath ro chudromach agus bidh son ùine.

An-uiridh chaidh 570 millean barail a thoirt a-mach às an roinn agus tha 170 eile a’ feitheamh le Cambo.

Dha duine sam bith a tha a’ ceisneachadh cho cudromach ‘s a tha an roinn gu bhith son ar cumhachd, co-dhiù airson greis fhathast, cha leig iad a leas ach sùil a thoirt air na tha a’ tachairt le tuathan-gaoithe aig muir.

Le pròiseact Vattenfall, a-mach à Obar Dheathain, fhuaireas air teicneòlas a chur an sàs a bha a’ ciallachadh gum faodar na cruinn-gaoithe a bhith air uachdar na mara; cha leigeadh a leas a dhol sìos leotha chun na grunnd. Bha sin gam fàgail na bu shaoire agus a’ ciallachadh gum faodar an cur an sàs cha mhòr ann an àite sam bith.

Tha buidheann a’ Ghriod Nàiseanta, SSE agus Scottish Power, an-dràsta a’ coimhead air cead a thoirt dha 14 làrach aig muir timcheall Alba, a’ mhòr chuid chun tuath agus chun ear. Cha mhòr nach eilear air dìochuimhneachach mu thuathan-gaoithe air tìr ri linn cho duilich ‘s a tha e cead agus làn thaic fhaighinn, mar sin, ‘s ann gu muir a thathas a’ coimhead a-nis.

Ach fiù ‘s le sin, fiù ‘s leis cho cudromach ‘s a tha e, chan eil càil a dhùil gum faic sinn a’ chiad chrann dhe na pròiseactan ùra seo a’ cur car airson 10 bliadhna eile, gar fàgail an eisimeil an siostaim a tha ann an-dràsta agus na tha a’ tachairt ann am margaidhean mòra an t-saoghail.

Tha na laigsean ann am poileasaidh na cumhachd a’ cur nam chuimhne an sgeulachd mu fhear air saor-làithean anns na h-eileanan agus e a’ faighneachd an t-slighe a-steach dhan a’ bhaile.

“Uill, a bhalaich,” ars' an t-eileanach, “nam bithinn-sa nad àite cha thòisichinn ann an seo.”

A dh’aindeoin ’s cho cudromach is a tha e tighinn gu ceann-uidhe ceart air poileasaidhean cumhachd cho luath sa ghabhas, tha slighe fhathast ri dhol agus slighe a bhios glè chugallach aig a sin.

Agus aig a’ cheann thall, mar a tha an t-seachdain seo air sealltainn dhuinn cho breagha sa ghabhas, ‘s e sinne a phàigheas air a shon.

Fios bhon neach-deasachaidh:

Tapa leibh airson an aithris a tha seo a leughadh. Tha sinn an eismeil ur taic nas motha na bha riamh agus buaidh a’ Choronbhirus air buaidh a thoirt air luchd sanasachd. Mur eil sibh air a dhèanamh mar-tha, ma se ur toil, nach beachdaich sibh taic a chumail ri ar obair-naidheachd earbsach, a tha sinn a’ dearbhadh a tha fìor, le bhith toirt a-mach ballrachd digiteach.

The current crisis over gas supplies has brought into sharp focus the complex picture on energy supplies and how the UK market remains heavily reliant on foreign imports, despite levels of production in the North Sea still being high and the significant progress made on renewable energy.

The Cop26 event in Glasgow in November – the United Nations annual conference on climate change action – looks set to instigate a step-change on the journey towards a carbon-neutral economy, with even the most sceptical unable to ignore the visible signs of a warming planet.

Extreme weather events are becoming the norm and millions of people are set to be displaced from their homes by a combination of rising seas and the destruction of hitherto-productive agricultural lands, creating with it a new migrant crisis.

Despite this clear imperative for a transformative leap towards green sources of energy, the truth is that fossil fuels have to remain part of the mix if we are to keep the lights on and the economy ticking over.

Ignore the current political clamour around Cambo, the proposed oilfield 75 miles to the west of Shetland for which a production licence is awaited and which some want to see blocked. The reality is that the North Sea is still far too important and will remain so for some time.

Last year, 570 million barrels of crude oil were extracted from its reserves and Cambo has the potential to unlock a further 170 million.

Anyone doubting the importance of the sector for our future energy requirements, at least in the intermediate, need only look at the situation involving offshore wind.

The successful development of floating technology, as pioneered by the Vattenfall project off Aberdeen – probably best known for ruining Donald Trump’s golf course ambitions – has proved a game changer, both in terms of costs and in lifting barriers to location.

National Grid, the electricity system operator, along with SSE and Scottish Power, are currently assessing the potential of 14 new offshore floating sites, mostly to the north and the east, under a programme entitled ScotWind.

With onshore wind largely set to one side due to the problems with navigating the laborious and troublesome planning process, this really is the only game in town in terms of the next wave of renewable energy generation.

But even still, even given its huge importance, the first of these projects is not expected to come on stream until 10 years’ time, leaving us heavily reliant on the vagaries of the current supply system and at the mercy of global fluctuations for some time yet.

The failures over energy policy, and the lack of urgency towards reaching credible alternatives, brings to mind the story of the tourist asking an islander for directions. “Well, sir,” said the islander, “if I was you, I wouldn’t start from here.”

Despite a pressing need to reach, sooner rather than later, a proper destination with a coherent and carbon-friendly energy system, there is still a long way to go and it’s going to be a very uncertain journey at that. And ultimately, as we’ve seen, it’ll be the consumers that will pay the price.