Generation game

My THANKS to Alex Orr (Letters, 14 September) for clearly elucidating the absurdity of our energy policy: “by 2020” we will “generate twice as much electricity as Scotland needs… half of it from renewables… with Scotland exporting as much electricity as she consumes”.

In other words: We are despoiling our landscape with wind farms and pylons, increasing fuel poverty with a 12 per cent renewable tariff on our fuel bills and providing energy companies and landowners with massive subsidies – all this so the generating companies can make even more profits by exporting the electricity.

By implication, Mr Orr confirms that, if we did not undertake these vastly expensive “green” projects, the country would still be self-sufficient in power in 2020. Not so much a “green policy” as a “greenback policy” for some.

Michael N Crosby

Muiravonside

By Linlithgow

Dr CHARLES Wardrop (Letters, 15 September) highlights “the evidence of the hideously expensive inefficiency of renewables”.

In a new report, Dr Richard Wellings, of the Institute of Economic Affairs, warns that the government’s obsession with climate change targets will result in a £500 increase in everyone’s energy bills within four years.

Huge subsidies are already paid to the renewables industries, especially wind turbines, and this will get even worse.

He then cites official figures that building thousands of wind turbines and connecting to the National Grid will cost the taxpayer £100 billion over the next decade.

And there was me thinking we were in economic meltdown.

Dr Wellings also accuses politicians of seizing on the green agenda despite the “high level of scientific uncertainty that still surrounds the issue of climate change”. The last comment in the report is exactly what most people are asking.

“What is the point of Britain sacrificing her economy on the altar of climate change when China is opening two coal power plants every week?”

Clark Cross

Springfield Road

Linlithgow