Energy boost

It would seem the Liberal Democrat MSP, Tavish Scott, has not been listening to his own party. In his article, “Watchdogs have failed us over energy prices” (Perspective, 22 September), he asserted that “renewable energy means higher prices for consumers” when in fact his own colleague, Energy Secretary Chris Huhne, has stated that supporting the renewables industry will, in the long run, protect us from future hikes in gas prices in the coming years.

He also seems to overlook the £2 billion costs of cleaning up the legacy of our fleet of ageing nuclear power stations and the fact that government figures show the same costs for electricity generated from onshore wind turbines and nuclear plants.

Mr Scott should be well aware of the benefits renewable energy brings to communities across Scotland, especially to those areas that are rich in wind and wave resource, such as his constituency of the Shetland Isles. Building a low-carbon economy will bring new jobs and investment, and secure a safe source of electricity while helping tackle climate change by reducing carbon emissions.

Niall Stuart

Scottish Renewables

Bath Street

Glasgow

Scottish Secretary Michael Moore told the Liberal Democrat conference of his cunning plan for a new talking shop to “identify the barriers that are holding back our economy”.

He surely does not need “the good and the great” to point out that the greatest barrier is his colleague Chris Huhne’s ruinous fixation with costly, renewable power generation.

In The Myth of Green Jobs, Gordon Hughes points out that, as costs rise in manufacturing and related sectors, firms will simply relocate, taking ever more Scottish jobs with them.

(Dr) John Cameron

Howard Place

St Andrews